Shades of Violet
by Kayasuri-n
Summary: When a psychic starts wiping human minds in a northern pokemon reserve, the Pokemon League is forced to deal with it. Enter Sabrina, who knows only that she doesn't want to be there. For WiseAbsol. COMPLETE, AT LAST!
1. Chapter 1

**Shades of Violet**

"You cannot be serious." Sabrina stared at her cousin, her eyes wide. Was something wrong with her ears? Except- no, a quick look around the table proved that she _had_ just heard Lance say- that. Now the only question was, who to bludgeon to death first. Lance, or herself?

"Sorry, no," the League's unofficial leader said, lounging in his chair and grinning. "I'm completely serious."

She shook her head slightly, feeling like her tongue had been glued to the roof of her mouth. In a moment, shock would turn to anger, but she didn't _have_ a moment. Lance was going to put it to a vote, and… "Can't you send someone else?" she asked, and nearly winced at how weak her voice sounded. "Agatha, for example?"

The Elite Four member in question snorted. "Ghosts are weak against psychics," she pointed out. "Granted, psychics are weak against ghosts, but I wouldn't bet on the ghost."

"Your dark types-"

"What dark types?" Agatha asked, and drummed her fingers against the table. "I haven't been able to get a sableye trained up yet, spiritome are impossible to find, and despite what you may have heard, misdreavus _aren't_ dark types."

"Surely someone else…" Sabrina said, looking around the table. The other Gym Leaders refused to meet her eyes, except Giovanni. He, quite obviously, didn't have dark types, and never had. He smirked, she glared, and everyone else pretended the two of them didn't exist.

Lance shrugged his shoulders, ignoring the two Gym Leaders and their enmity with the ease of long practice. "Koga has _one_ dark type, same with Misty, Erika has three and everyone else has none, little cuz."

"Well, there you go. Erika should be the one to-"

Giovanni cleared his throat, and Sabrina glared at him. Pity her morals kept her from doing little things like, say, making annoying people think they had to do the Pidgey Dance or the Midgets of Doom would break their kneecaps.

Giovanni completely deserved to be attacked by Midgets of Doom. The bastard was lounging in a full three piece, lurid orange suit, looking like he should have been sitting at the head of a table in a boardroom with air conditioning, instead of the League's meeting room, at a round table, in a building where 'climate control' consisted of throwing open all the windows and doors and praying for a breeze.

It could have been worse, though. He could have been wearing that lurid tropical shirt, the one with lime green and hot pink mixed together. Maybe he was color blind. Or maybe-

Giovanni was speaking, and Sabrina realized she hadn't heard one word he'd said.

"-protection twenty-four-seven," he finished saying. She glared, to cover up her complete confusion. What needed protection?

"He has a point," Misty said, then ducked her head as the other League members turned to look at her. As one of the youngest members, she was terribly shy, which was a pity. Hopefully she'd grow out of it, or at least lose her temper soon. Red heads shouldn't be so quiet.

"I don't care," Sabrina said, and folded her arms. "I'm not going."

Bruno slammed one fist down on the table; the table shuddered, but didn't break. A tauros could have charged the table, and it wouldn't have broken. "Stop being such a child!" he yelled. "Someone has to go, you're the psychic, and you're the best one for the job! Besides, you can teleport there."

"If I'd ever _been_ to the Northern Wildlife Refuge, I could," she corrected. "But I haven't. I'll be just as slow as any of you, probably slower." Much slower. They, at least, made periodic forays into the wilderness to get pokemon. She didn't, as she didn't need to.

Lance was rubbing his forehead, and finally sighed. "When you come back, we'll spring for a week at a five star resort. Spa included, whatever you want. No upper limit."

Sabrina opened her mouth to refuse, and paused. "Any resort?" she asked. She could hear Giovanni chuckling to himself, and bemoaned the fact that he was too far away to kick under the table. "Any one I want? Wherever I want?"

"Any one, any place, any spa, whichever treatment you desire… One week. Do we have a deal?"

She hadn't been to a spa in _ages_. The last time had, in fact, been for her mother's fiftieth birthday. Nearly a year and a half ago, now.

Sabrina sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. "Fine," she spat. "One week, at the spa resort of my choice."

"Thank you," Lance said. "Now if we can move to other matters?"

Sabrina stopped paying attention after that. Whenever a vote was needed, she made sure to vote against Giovanni. It wasn't like it mattered. Apart from the renegade psychic holed up in the northern mountains, erasing the memories of trainers, rangers, and some poor, lost bus driver, there wasn't any urgent business. And even the renegade psychic wasn't erasing all that much, as far as memories went. Only about a week or so, as far as anyone could determine.

Well, no hope for it now. She'd have to leave as soon as possible, get it over and done with quickly, so she could get on her vacation.

**

* * *

  
**As soon as possible turned out to be the next day. And only because Lance had shown up at her hotel room's door, and refused to leave.

Sabrina signed the credit card receipt, and glared at her cousin. "I hate you."

"Oh, come now. You were getting in a rut." Lance held open the door, beating the porter by a good second. "And boring. Besides, you hate everyone."

"You have a special place in hell. And I like my rut."

"I thought it was Giovanni who had the special place in hell."

Sabrina glared at an innocent bystander, who quickly got out of her way. "What, the both of you can't have a special place in hell? Giovanni's the spawn of Satan, anyways."

"I just don't see why you don't like him."

"Because you're a blithering idiot, obviously. Why are you here?"

Her cousin smiled. "Making sure you do what you're supposed to, obviously."

Sabrina stopped in her tracks; Lance actually walked several steps past her, before he realized she wasn't at his side any more. When he turned around, she narrowed her eyes. "You're not going with me, are you?" she asked. "I thought it was too dangerous for a non-psychic?"

"I thought you weren't paying attention to what Giovanni was saying."

"I wasn't, his tie was giving me hysterical blindness. I asked Gale, of course."

Lance winced, but she'd expected that. He just didn't understand that, to Sabrina at least, it wasn't all _that_ odd, having her pokemon riffle through her memories. Gale's mindset wasn't human, at all, so it wasn't even an invasion of privacy, any more then your pet Meowth seeing you naked was an invasion of privacy. Besides, Gale was especially good at helping Sabrina remember things, even when she hadn't been paying attention at the time.

Giovanni had pointed out, correctly, unfortunately, that a dark type couldn't extend its immunity to psychics to humans. He had also pointed out that, unless they wanted an amnesiac League member on their hands, they didn't dare send anyone without mental shields only a psychic would have. He had finally mentioned that it might come down to a power struggle, and Sabrina _was_ a powerful psychic in her own right…

Not that he'd been complimenting her. She had no doubts about _that_. The way he'd said she was powerful was the same way you said a house was well built, when you hated the contractor. Sort of 'nice job, it's not going to fall down, I still hate your guts!' only a lot more subtle.

"Well," Lance said, when the silence between them had stretched on long enough to be slightly uncomfortable. "Be that as it may. The sooner you can get this done, the sooner you can go on vacation."

"Oddly enough, I thought the same thing last night." Sabrina started walking again, and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Then why didn't you go last night?"

"Maybe because it was dark? Or perhaps because I don't have camping equipment? Or maybe because I don't even know where, exactly, I'm going to have to go?"

"The Northern-"

"Nearly fifty-thousand square meters. Or was it acres? I can't remember." She shrugged, and glared. "Either way, there is a lot of ground to cover in the Refuge. Unless you want me to be gone for a decade or more, I need a more specific idea of where to go."

"Ah. Well, those records are in the office," Lance said. He frowned. "You still only have three pokemon?"

"I only need the three."

"You'll get there faster if you have a mount," he murmured. Sabrina stifled a wince. She just knew what he was thinking of, curse him.

Moments later, he proved her right. "You'll get some other pokemon, non-psychics you can ride. Then it'll only take a week or so to get to the Refuge, instead of a month."

"Fine," she replied in a monotone. "Will you also take care of my camping gear, too?"

"Of course, or you'll pack a hair dryer." Lance grinned, and fell silent. A good thing too, Sabrina was ready to _make_ him be quiet.

The rest of the walk to the League's office building was made in silence, at least on the part of the two League members. The city swirled around them, chaos just barely controlled. Not one of the civilians would have imagined all the important League decisions were made in a nearly hundred year old building with leaky plumbing, right in the middle of Viridian City's downtown. They all thought the League worked only out of their gyms, or the League Arena outside of Viridian.

Well, Sabrina wasn't going to complain. That assumption had never done any harm, so why challenge it? It only meant no one was going to try to sneak into the League's offices to try and get some information, or worse, get autographs from the Elite Four.

Lance held the office door open for her, and then the elevator door. Sabrina didn't argue. Why should she? It was mere manners, and knowing Lance's mother, her aunt Alexandria; it was only to be expected. Aunt Alexandria would have beaten Lance with a stick if he didn't show a woman proper courtesy.

She waited in the visitor's waiting room, if only because Lance's office had barely enough room for one person. The piles of papers he insisted on having had a tendency to breed, and he was now in danger of losing the room to the piles entirely.

In a short order, he returned to the waiting room with a thin file folder, and keys to one of the store rooms. "Here you go, cuz. Some reading for your journey." He handed over the folder, and she tucked it under one arm. "Now, off to get you some supplies!"

"Are we done yet?" Sabrina asked, and hunched her shoulders.

"Hah, hah, very funny. Not. Now come on."

They went from the second floor, with the offices for the Elite Four and everyone who was associated with the day to day running of the League, to the fourth, where the supplies were kept. Everything from clothing to pokemon to stores of canned, dried, and non-perishable food. The League could have opened several small stores with only half of the supplies on the fourth floor.

Lance waved her over to a seat, which Sabrina was happy enough to do. Let her cousin rummage around to his heart's content, she was going to sit and read the file he'd given her.

She was finished before Lance was, but it just gave her time to think. Ten trainers, three rangers- who were meant to keep the trainers out of the Refuge- and one bus driver had each lost at least a week's worth of memory when they wandered near Mt. Norikura. Elsewhere, there had been no problems.

Apart from location and memory loss, there was nothing tying the cases together. One of the trainers had been innocently lost, two had no idea it was a nature reserve but had meant to be there, one had been exploring, one had belonged to Team Rocket, four had been the victims of teleporting gone wrong, and one had been an agent the League had sent to investigate. The rangers, of course, had belonged there, and the bus driver's bus had broken down, and he had followed a service road trying to find a gas station.

Well, at least now she knew where to go.

Lance shuffled from one of the store rooms to another, and Sabrina closed her eyes. If things went the way she expected them to, this would be the last time she'd have the time, energy, or safety to meditate properly. If she was going to go up against a psychic powerful enough to actually wipe memories- not just suppress them, but _utterly destroy them completely_- she wanted her mental shields to be at their strongest.

In meditation, she had to be completely honest with herself, let the thoughts come as they would, deal with them, and then move on.

She couldn't wipe memories. She could barely lift anything over five pounds with her mind, couldn't _hold down_ anything over five pounds with her mind. She could read thoughts, speak in people's minds, make them see things, or not see things, whichever she wanted. She could suppress memories and help erase a phobia. She could, in fact, speak to a complete and utter stranger on the other side of the country, so long as she had a picture of the person, but telepathy wasn't exactly an offensive ability.

Fear threatened to swamp her then. What were they thinking? What was _she_ thinking! Going off to fight someone strong enough to do all this- in the middle of nowhere- with no backup-

Sabrina gave herself a mental shake. That was nonsense. Just because someone was strong with telepathy didn't necessarily mean they were strong with telekinesis. Apart from pokemon, you were either a strong telepath, strong telekinetic, or an empath, which was nearly another line of mental powers entirely! For that matter, with this person being _so_ strong - it was entirely possible she was dealing with someone who had _just_ come into his or her powers, couldn't control their telepathy, and had retreated into the wilderness in defense! If that were the case, she could sympathize. When her telepathy had begun to develop, she'd thought she was going mad, able to hear everyone in a nearly five mile radius.

It made sense. A powerful telepath could, theoretically, quiet minds without meaning to- also known as wiping memories as they were formed. Humans lived in the past, anyways. At least, in Sabrina's experience. While part of their mind was focused on what was happening, the noisiest part was always the part of the mind that dealt with thinking about the past and the future. For someone who couldn't help but hear all that babbling, it would be self defense to reach out and 'turn the radio off', so to speak. When the person got out of range, the telepath would stop fiddling with the volume, people would be able to remember again, and there would be a missing week.

All she would have to do was find the telepath, teach him or her how to shield against the press of all the other minds, and that would be that. Once the basics were under control, they could move the lessons to someplace civilized, like a city, and then… Well, maybe Sabrina would end up taking the poor child to her Gym. Having a lot of psychics around could only be to the good, in case the child's shields slipped.

Sabrina reinforced her own shielding, imagining herself as a ball of pale, lavender light surrounded by iron walls two feet thick, made of iron sheets that were layered over each other, making them stronger. Her shields weren't normally so thick, or so ridged, but in the case of an out of control psychic, she would need them.

It left her feeling a little off balance, though. One of her senses had been mostly cut off. It was like having a cold, with everything muffled. Of course, her five senses were perfectly fine, it was her sixth that had been quieted.

She opened her eyes, and nearly jumped out of her skin. Lance was seated right next to her, and she hadn't even noticed him.

She hid her reaction, and frowned. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Not too long. Finished?"

"Yes, actually."

"Good, because I've got your things, and a few suggestions." Lance leaned back in his chair, and looked up at the ceiling. "Which do you want first?"

"Suggestions, I suppose."

Lance nodded, and continued staring at the ceiling. "Unless you want your hair tangled, with leaves and twigs and everything else in it, put it up in a braid. Forget about baths, mountain streams are freezing and if you get hypothermia, or get sick, you're all alone. Forget about clean clothes, too. I'm only letting you go off with as little as I think you can get away with, and if you wash your clothes whenever they get dirty, you won't have anything to wear."

"You make it sound as if my pokemon can't teleport," Sabrina said, frowning. "So long as I set up a distinctive camp, we can just return to the nearest town to re-supply."

"Which is why I'm not sending as much food with you as I would otherwise, but I don't think you want to pop back to town every other day. It'll be a waste of time."

"I suppose so. Fine. I'll keep all that in mind."

"Good. Now, for the supplies." Lance grinned, and his excitement was infectious. Sabrina certainly felt less unhappy, anyways. More like a visit to the dentist then having to go after a legendary monster with only a pointy stick and her own bravery, she supposed.

"That's more then I can carry," she pointed out, nodding at the bags Lance had piled at his feet.

"Well, you'll only be carrying one of the bags. You're riding a rapidash."

"You mean I'll be falling off a rapidash."

"I got you a good one."

"Okay, so I won't fall off every other step."

Lance glared. "There'll be a saddle, so stuff it."

"Oh, good, you don't want to kill me. I was beginning to have doubts."

"I'll tell mother on you, you know."

Sabrina winced. "Please don't. So, what do I have?"

"A very long list of stuff," Lance replied. "You're not used to this, so… more then I'd go out with, or most trainers."

"I did go on a pokemon journey, remember?" she pointed out.

"It doesn't count as a journey when you slept under a roof every night," Lance replied. "Now, you've got the essentials. In this bag-" he hoisted the backpack. "-you have your clothes- two pairs of jeans, two t-shirts, two sweaters, three pairs of socks, a sun hat and a knit cap, two pairs of underwear, and your boots are right there." He nodded at the hiking boots. They didn't look new, but they didn't look worn, either. Someone had obviously broken them in, and then put them in storage.

"Why only two of everything?" Sabrina asked, surprised it had all fit in the backpack. Granted, it was a true hiking backpack, and so a lot bigger then the packs she was used to, but that was still a lot.

"Because you'll be wearing one set of clothes. The other will be in case you get wet, and believe me, you will. It also has your toiletries, garbage bags, water treatment tablets, sunglasses, and first aid kit. It'll carry most of your food, cookware, and camp stove, too."

Sabrina blinked, and looked from Lance's face, to the bag, and back. "And you're able to hold it up?" she asked.

"Remember, I do this a lot. Here. Go get changed, the clothes you're wearing now will never do."

He handed over the bag, and she grunted a little at the weight. There was a bathroom on this floor, thankfully. Her clothes, which were just this side of stylish, comfortable to wear, and made of light materials, were unsuitable for mountain climbing. She folded up the light sweater and slacks, and traded them for the jeans and t-shirt. The sweater she tied around her waist.

At least Lance had kept to her favorite colors. The clothes might not have fit as well as her usual wardrobe, that that was fine. The t-shirt was purple, the sweater a darker purple; the other shirt and sweater were light and dark green, respectively, and she nodded, pleased. The socks were black, to hide dirt no doubt, and the sun-hat was an unfortunate floral print, while the knit cap was black. The jeans were dark washed, and the underwear was dull beige. In all, as far as clothing went, it could have been much, much worse.

She hoisted the pack, and was surprised at how much lighter it was. It wasn't _light_, by any means, but it was lighter.

When she returned to her seat, she switched her rubber soled sneakers for the hiking boots. They were, she realized, more comfortable then her usual shoes. Maybe she'd keep them, when this was all over.

"Alright," she said. "What next?"

"Well, the backpack is for things you might need _right away_, but not while you're riding," Lance said. "Your sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and tent are in this roll here, and will be tied behind your saddle." He nudged the roll in question with his foot, even as he put the last of the things in the backpack.

It looked like the tent had been wrapped around the sleeping bag and pad. The tent was an orange color only slightly tamer in shade then Giovanni's suit.

"I hope there are instructions," she said. "Otherwise, I won't be able to get it up."

"There's a page, folded up and tucked in the sleeping bag."

"Good."

"Now, in the saddle bags, you've got two bottles for water-"

"Two?" Sabrina asked, a little dismayed.

"Two, and that's what the water tablets are for. You have a filter, too, but the tablets should do for the trip. And the bottles are the non-breakable kind, too. Anyways, two bottles for water, a compass, a map, a GPS-watch combo, a few bars of food- the rest of the food went in your backpack- a knife, a flashlight, waterproof matches and lighter, the water filter I mentioned, and binoculars."

"And the rope? And the… netting?" Sabrina stared at the coil of rope in question. The netting, at least, she had some idea about. It looked a little like one of those hooded sweatshirts teenagers liked so much.

"The bug shirt you're going to wear, along with a whistle. The rope will go on your saddle. It's for the tent, or anything else, really."

"So, I'll be completely safe and comfortable," Sabrina said. "You seem to have thought of everything."

"Including the pokemon," Lance replied, looking more serious then she'd ever seen him. Even when taking on a challenger, he looked like he was pulling some sort of joke. Not now. "Your team, of course, and the rapidash you're going to ride. There's a tyranitar here, too- don't argue! It'll listen to you- and a lapras in case you need to cross any wide rivers, or go up them."

Sabrina's mouth dropped open a little. "Are you sure about the tyranitar?" she asked, a little weakly. "You know dark types don't like me."

"It's one of ours," he replied. "It'll listen to you. I'll even introduce you to it."

"Alright. Well. Why a tyranitar?"

"Physical protection," Lance replied, voice grim.


	2. Chapter 2

**Shades of Violet**

He just didn't want to get up today. Mewtwo curled up on his side, doing his level best to ignore his physical needs. What did it matter if he was hungry or thirsty, or that his arm was starting to go numb? He was just… tired. Very, very tired.

He opened his eyes, and stared at the wall mere inches from his muzzle. If someone had told him he would actually miss Mew, he would have laughed himself sick. If someone had told him he would get exactly what he wanted- solitude- and find it not to his liking, he would have been just as amused. What could be better then peace and quiet? All his short life he had been surrounded by people and pokemon, without space of his own.

First there was Team Rocket, with its endless round of training and battles and the scientists that were devoted to studying him. Then there was New Island, and Nurse Joy, and the constant need to keep an eye on her so his hold on her mind didn't slip. Then there were the clones he had created, who had looked to him for guidance as he and Mew found them places they could live.

When the last clone had been found a place, Mewtwo had retreated here, and Mew had taken his leave. The first week had been amazing. Without the unending clamor of minds around him, Mewtwo had finally rested. He had slept most of the week, in fact, awake perhaps five out of every twenty-four hours, and then only to get something to eat, to drink, to move about and explore his new home a little.

The second week, he had been more awake, and had concentrated on making his home more comfortable. And now… With nothing to do…

He closed his eyes again, and curled up a little tighter. Perhaps he should find something to do, if only to have a goal. Pursue vengeance against Giovanni and Team Rocket, perhaps, or take an on-line college course, should he figure out some way to make electric equipment work in a cave. But to what point? Giovanni didn't know where Mewtwo was, and wouldn't know where to look for the psychic. And what good would a college degree do him?

He got out of bed only because his stomach became too much to ignore. Dull eyed, he padded to the 'kitchen', where he kept the fruits and vegetables he found. He preferred to eat fruits and vegetables, though he was an omnivore and his body craved meat. Currently, he wasn't up to hunting for a meal, either physically or mentally, and satisfied his stomach's complaints with an apple that was slightly under-ripe, and a touch acidic.

Other creatures didn't seem to have the problem he did, he thought, and moved to the mouth of the cave. The sun felt good on his fur, warm against the slight chill of the mountain air. He sat down, and continued to nibble at the apple.

Humans- well, humans had any number of things to do with their lives, either working, paying taxes, courting, raising their young… Pokemon were also consumed with the minutiae of living, finding food, shelter, courting and raising their own young…

Perhaps his problem was not due to the solitude, or not entirely. He was the only one of his kind. There was no one that had shared his experiences. There would be no one for him to court, no children for him to raise and care for. Even in a crowd, he would still be alone.

Even if he had goals, even if he somehow managed to make a computer and internet work so far up a mountain, so far away from society, he would still be alone.

Forever.

Mewtwo sighed, and threw the half eaten apple out into the trees. He was going to go back to bed.

He was just so very tired.

**

* * *

Sabrina had been on the road for two days now, and was disgusted with the whole thing. She had blisters on her hands from the reins, her legs hurt from the riding, and her back hurt from sleeping on the ground every night. Her eyes hurt, because even with the sunglasses the sun was very bright, and she had to squint. The light also gave her a headache, which certainly didn't help matters.**

At least her mount was a steady one. The rapidash was named Firebrand, which might have been true in his youth, but wasn't now. He was perhaps nine or ten, old enough to have grown out of his coltish stupidity, but still young enough to run all day, if he had to. He didn't shy or start at the unexpected, and he put up with Sabrina's inexperience with patience, if not good grace.

Lance had introduced her to the three 'outsiders' to her team, in fact, and she liked all of them. There was Firebrand, of course. Then there was Marina, the lapras, who was just as gentle as could be expected. The lapras was mid-sized, not quite breeding age, but then, lapras tended to have human life spans, and didn't reach breeding age until twenty or so. Marina was probably seventeen or eighteen, and the perfect size for traveling on glacial rivers.

The third pokemon, the tyranitar, was named Skull. Why, Sabrina didn't know. What she did know was she had no reason to fear him. He was a dark-ground type, so she couldn't speak mentally to him, but she didn't really have to. He was quick witted, for a ground type, and understood the gist of what she told him, if not the actual words themselves. Once Lance had told Skull to protect Sabrina, that had been that. She only had to let him out of his pokeball every night, and she could sleep as soundly as if she were at home. More, in fact.

She was starting to consider the possibility of keeping them, when it was all over. Not for battling, for that she had Gale, Silver, and Bolt. But there was a large river near Saffron City, practically in her backyard, and she had a great deal of room for Firebrand and Skull. Firebrand was nearing retirement age, and Skull was almost like a growlithe, the way he seemed to crave human contact.

Well, something to think about. Sabrina directed Firebrand over to the side of the road. There was a restaurant just up ahead, and she didn't want to eat her cooking. She'd managed to avoid it this long.

There was a fenced in pasture for trainers to leave their pokemon, if they were so inclined. Sabrina chewed her lip, and then shook her head. It took at least fifteen minutes to get everything off Firebrand, and twenty to get it all back on properly. She'd get takeout. It was a nice day, and it wasn't like a rapidash was a car. The trail was straight, even, so she would only need one hand on the reins.

Firebrand 'ground tied', which meant all Sabrina really had to do was drop the reins on the ground. "Wait here," she told her mount, and headed inside.

The restaurant's meal options left a lot to be desired. Sabrina chose a burger, it seeming the easiest thing to eat one handed, though it was practically dripping with grease. The rest of the food was surely just as greasy, though, and definitely required two hands.

She paid for the burger, and headed outside as soon as it was in her hands. Firebrand was just where she'd left him, and she mounted with only a little difficulty. The rapidash started walking with a nudge of her heels, ambling with a deceptive gate. He had such long legs that though he looked slow, he was in fact walking faster then Sabrina could have.

"You should have been a racer," she told the rapidash, who flicked an ear back at her voice. "Well, no matter."

In the end, she used both hands to eat her meal. She tucked the reins under one leg, and concentrated on not letting any of the grease drip on the saddle or Firebrand's shoulder. When she finished, for lack of any other options, she licked her fingers clean, and wiped them on her jeans.

"By the time I get back, my manners will be gone," she said, and laughed as she picked up the reins again. "And you know? I don't care! Isn't that something?"

If she hadn't been riding off into even wilder wilderness, this might not have been so bad. It wasn't _fun_, but it wasn't all that bad, really. It hadn't stormed, or even rained, yet, she was able to follow the road, and while riding wasn't exactly as easy as it looked, at least she wasn't walking.

The scenery was beautiful, too. Already she was further north then she'd ever been, having left the 'Trainer's circuit' of cities and towns behind the day before. What was left were the little towns and villages where people lived, when they didn't want to live in a big city. There were Pokemon Centers, but they were smaller then the ones in the big towns, and were more places to take one's pet, instead of places for a trainer to take their battling team.

It was utterly peaceful. If Sabrina ever had to retire, she might consider moving to a small town up north. It really depended on what the other seasons were like, she supposed.

Currently, it was late summer. The days were warm, to the point where she didn't bother with her sweater, and tucked the bug jacket in her bedroll. The nights were a touch cool, but not enough to worry about. The land was lightly forested, with plenty of space between trees and clearings in plenty.

Once she had the reins sorted out, she urged Firebrand into a trot, and then quickly into a canter. This was no pleasure trip, even if it was turning out to have its moments, and the sooner she could get finished, the sooner she could return to civilization.

And the sooner she could get her vacation at the spa. She was going to bathe in rosewater and have a massage every morning and afternoon. Mud baths, facials, pedicures and manicures and oh, whatever else she could think of.

Late afternoon, she found a good clearing to stop at for the night. The first thing she did was get everything off Firebrand. He could be trusted not to wander, and there was plenty of grazing for him.

The next thing she did was set up the necessity pit. It was a few feet in the woods, on the opposite side of where she'd put the tent.

Then she went through the ritual of setting up the tent, laying out the sleeping pad and bag, setting up the cook stove, and facing the task of having to cook. There were only so many ways you could cook the trail bars Lance had packed, which were certainly the easiest things to work with. Boil a pot of water, cut them up and toss them in, and you ended up with a sort of oatmeal and berry stew… thing. Two bars were enough for dinner, and then breakfast. There might have been trouble with ursaring going after the food, except for Skull. No wild pokemon went up against a tyranitar, for any reason. Not unless the tyranitar was several days dead.

And even then, if it was possible to avoid the tyranitar…

Sabrina let Skull out of his pokeball, and filled the collapsible pot with water from the two water bottles. So far, the problem of finding water had been neatly solved. Marina was a water type, after all, and Sabrina wasn't squeamish. Marina just used a low level water gun on the dirty dishes, filled the collapsible pot the same way, and Sabrina poured the water into the water bottles. It managed to keep Marina's time out of the pokeball down to about half an hour a day. As there weren't any rivers or ponds nearby for the pokemon to swim in, that was for the best.

And it meant that Sabrina didn't have to feed Marina either. She didn't have to feed Skull, but that was because she didn't know what he ate. Dirt? Grass? Wood? She didn't know, but he was never hungry in the mornings, so he was getting fed somehow.

She finished eating, and covered the remains of the meal with the pot lid. The cook stove she turned off, to save the fuel, and crawled into the tent.

She was up at the crack of dawn, or thereabouts. The last of the water from yesterday added to the mush in the pot, a quick heating with the cook stove, and the food was ready to eat. Sabrina had packing down to an art, and by midmorning she was riding out again, keeping Firebrand to a slow trot until his muscles had been stretched out.

The day passed much as the one before had, save only that she had to pause in order to eat lunch. The trail bars were just as good dry as they had been cooked, but she did take the chance to stretch her legs for fifteen minutes. The bridle Firebrand wore was bit-less, so he was able to do some grazing of his own.

Then they were on their way again.

After two more days, the second of which there was a light rain during the morning, they had reached the nature preserve.

Sabrina chose to camp at the base of the mountain, even though it was noon when they reached the nature preserve's border. It would be better to tackle the mountain's challenges after a good night's rest. There was a river she could camp by, even though there was no way for Marina to swim up it. Not even fifty feet away from camp was a sheer cliff; the river had carved a path down the cliff, but no pokemon could swim straight up.

Setting up camp earlier meant it was possible to let all of her pokemon out of their pokeballs. The three psychic types kept a wary distance from Skull, but otherwise didn't seem all that bothered by the dark type. Marina delighted in the river, 'grazing' on the river weed. Sabrina was able to take the time to make something other then trail bar stew, and watched the sun set before going to bed.

**

* * *

Sabrina and Firebrand stumbled over the access road the next day. Literally, in fact; the road was slightly higher then the stanler trail they had been riding down, and the low growing tree branches had managed to block their sight. Sabrina was thrown forward onto Firebrand's shoulder, but got her balance back quickly.**

She pulled on the reins, and the rapidash halted. "Well," she said, more to hear herself talk. "This should be the general area. I think." She wrinkled her nose, and pulled out her map and compass. She had a general idea of where she was, she just needed to figure out if this was the right access road. There were three… With a little fiddling with the compass, she figured out which way was exactly north, lined up the map, and blessed Lance for finding a patient mount.

It was the right access road. The rest pointed, due to the unique geography of the area, north-east and north-west, while the one she wanted, and was on, pointed north-north-east, and ran straight as an arrow from town to the edge of the reserve. The other two roads twisted and turned like an ekans in its death throes.

Sabrina folded the map back up, and tucked it and the compass back into the right saddlebag. "Alright," she said, and nearly grinned. "We're here. Let's find our psychic, hm?" She urged Firebrand towards the right, and the mountains.

By noon, the land had drastically changed. She had ridden through low, rolling hills, covered in grass and leafy trees and bushes. Now, the access road wound its way through bigger hills, covered in a thin layer of dirt, huge boulders- some the size of houses, the further along they went- and evergreen trees and ferns. There was a great deal of water, what grass that grew was thin and wispy, and the air was markedly colder. Not cold enough to kill off the small, biting insects. Firebrand seemed mostly immune, perhaps due to his higher body temperature, but Sabrina was glad enough to wear her bug jacket. Her hands were left uncovered, but she could deal with that easily enough.

They were in the middle of the area where everyone had lost their memories. There were no physical signs, and with her mental shield up at full strength, she couldn't find anything that way.

Sabrina took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Well, she had expected this, and it wasn't as if she didn't have ways of looking. It was just going to take some time, that was all. At least now she could set up a permanent camp and get to work.

**

* * *

**

Mewtwo looked up at the building clouds, and frowned. Rain again. Not that he disliked the rain, precisely, it was only just… He didn't know. There was so much he was unsure of, now, that-

The fur on the back of his neck prickled, and he immediately sank into a battle stance, fangs bared. Someone was looking for him, looking directly _at_ him, but that was impossible! The cave was at his back, the trees grew too close together for anyone to have a direct line of sight to him, and he should be able to 'hear' the watcher's thoughts. He 'heard' nothing.

Skin crawling, he waited as the feeling of being watched went away. Then it came back, just as strong as before. It was a psychic ability, it had to be. How else could someone 'see' him without being physically there?

He was able to follow the psychic sweep of the mountain side, a little. He felt clumsy and inexpert, a child just come into his powers, compared to whoever was doing this. Mew had made him feel exactly the same way, and now, he reacted as he had then.

With anger.

There was no good comparison for what he did; no clear way to explain how it worked. As if his mind was simply part of his body, one that wasn't restrained by physical limits, he stretched out an 'arm' and 'tapped' the other psychic on the mental shoulder.

_Who are you!_ he shouted, forgoing subtlety with a show of strength. _What are you doing here? Go away and leave me alone!_

The other psychic's awareness seemed to jump, and pulled back, but didn't go away. Mewtwo _still_ couldn't hear the other psychic's mind, couldn't tell where he was, couldn't make him _go away_.

Then, the other psychic- vanished. One moment, Mewtwo had been aware of the power the other psychic had at his disposal, had been aware of that power as a softly glowing light in his mind's eye, and the next, the light had been extinguished.

Mewtwo tried to stretch out his awareness the way the intruding psychic had, and found himself met with failure. He could only reach out so far, before snapping back to his body.

He snarled at the inoffensive trees, and retreated to his cave. The next time the psychic mentally looked over the mountainside, he would be ready.


	3. Chapter 3

**Shades of Violet**

This was impossible. No, more then impossible, this was inconceivable. If it couldn't be thought of, it couldn't be done, and if it couldn't be done, it was impossible, and- Sabrina's head hurt.

Gale finished looking through Sabrina's memories, and sat down with a quiet, thoughtful mewl. The espeon's eyes were narrowed in thought, and she turned to Silver and Bolt, Sabrina's alakazam and Mr. Mime, and started explaining.

Immediately after the confrontation with the other psychic, she had released all her pokemon. The camp bordered a mountain lake; it was in a grassy clearing; and so she was completely protected by a ground type, a fire type, a water type, and three psychic types.

Why did she feel like curling up into a little ball and pretending she was safe at home, then?

Oh. Right. Super powerful psychic in the area who _knew she was here_ and, if she wasn't mistaken, was very, very angry with her.

Sabrina forced herself to take a deep breath, and then another. Her mental shields were as strong as ever, keeping her invisible to mind sweeps. Gale, of course, as her starter and closest companion, had no trouble slipping her way through her trainer's shields. So she was in no danger of discovery, the mental contact had been too short for either side to get a sense of direction.

But Sabrina had gotten a complete other sense of the rogue psychic. She might not know _where_ the other psychic was, but she did know _what_ was happening in his life, more or less.

"I think I'm going to make a list," she murmured, and sighed. She wasn't really a 'list' person, but she worked best when she talked things out, or at least moved from one point to the next in a logical manner. With a lack of people to talk to, making a list was the next best step.

The back of the map and a tiny stub of a pencil found in one of the backpack's pockets, were exactly what she needed.

The first thing she wrote was _power_. The psychic had a very great deal of power, and of the sort Sabrina was able to recognize. Power that had no outlet, that built up and built up until it _had_ to be released. Once most of the pressure was let off, like steam, a great deal of that power would dissipate. Not all, or even most, considering how strong the psychic had seemed. Currently, if he were to use all the power at his command, until he fell unconscious from the strain, he probably would be able to move mountains, carve new paths for rivers, stop a volcano from erupting, or make the earth's tectonic plates smash together.

Of course, doing those things had the potential to burn out his power, or kill him, so of course he couldn't do that. But history was filled with psychics with power like that, psychics who had saved the world- and psychics who had threatened it. They had all died, either during their efforts, or after, when they had found themselves without their powers.

Sabrina currently had two psychics like that in her gym. They did all of the 'heavy lifting', and also helped out with certain charities, like Habitat for Humanity. It kept their abilities low, kept the pressure down, and they did some good as well. It was easier for a strong telekinetic to move several hundred pounds of wood or bags of cement mix, after all.

This psychic, here on the mountain, was like that- only ten fold. He could probably build a house with only his mind, doing all the work of moving the materials, setting in the nails, and everything else that went into the house.

Oh, yes. He was strong enough to build a house, even without that buildup of psychic pressure.

So, she would have to find some way of letting that pressure off, before anything horrible happened. She wrote that down, and moved on before she could start worrying again.

_Youth_, she wrote next. Not the youth she had expected- this was a mature mind, so late teens at the youngest- but youth in training. He had been very blunt, very obvious, and with an appalling lack of even basic shields. A child with the most basic of telepathy could have read the psychic's mind.

At least it validated her suspicions as to why those people had lost their memories. And it explained why the psychic was out here, in the middle of nowhere. And, best of all, it was something she could help with, if he'd let her.

He wasn't completely untrained, he knew some of the basics of telekinesis and telepathy, and even a little out of body work, but… The training had been very heavy on the physical side of psychic powers, it seemed. Certainly he didn't seem to have any metaphysical training.

_Depression_, she wrote, and then stared at the word. That had to be the simplest part of this whole thing. Every psychic seemed to go through a period of depression; not necessarily a desire to die, but not caring if one woke up… Well, it was simple to cure, at least in this case. Psychics were set apart from the rest of society by their powers, and at the heart of it every creature wanted to belong to a group. Just look at cliques in high school! That was just one of the reasons Sabrina had created a psychic Gym, and accepted non-trainers. Psychics needed a place to belong, just like everyone else.

So, convince the poor man that he did have a place to belong, without getting too heavily into the sociology of the thing, and he should start to get better. If he didn't, then she'd take him to a trained psychologist. _She_ wasn't one, though she had read a lot of books on the subject.

Telepaths made bad therapists, anyways.

She chewed on her lip as she stared at her list, such as it was, and considered adding a few other things. But really, she couldn't think of anything that fit what she'd felt. A sense of alienation, and that crushing weight of depression; the overwhelming power, like a brilliant white-violet light to her mind's eye, and the absolute lack of control over it; the lack of training and the deep set fear that came with _not knowing_… She knew what she was going to be dealing with, now. All she had to do was figure out how to fix at least some of the problems.

Well, she could start by trying to get into contact with him, get his name. That was the great thing about being a telepath; you didn't actually have to be anywhere near someone to talk with them.

"Gale," she said, getting her team's attention. The psychics, at any rate. The others, neither psychic nor exposed to a psychic for any real length of time, hadn't been- enhanced- to thinking more like a human. "I'm going to try to speak with him." No need to explain who 'he' was. "I want you to guard me, and pull me back if I start to get overwhelmed."

Gale nodded, glanced once at Silver and Bolt, and then came over to sit in front of Sabrina. For her part, the woman made herself slightly more comfortable, closed her eyes, and eased her awareness past her shields, to the mountain side.

She hated out of body work. It always made her feel funny when she was done, like her skin didn't fit quite right.

Carefully scanning the land as she went, she eased forward, a great deal slower then she had when she'd been doing her sweeps. About halfway to her limit, she was intercepted again.

_Curse you, go away!_ the other psychic said, the words wrapped up in a welter of emotions. Sabrina was no empath, and though she could guess at the emotions and the cause, she couldn't be sure.

_Not yet,_ she replied, easing her awareness closer to the other psychic's. She stopped, and looked at him with mental eyes, quickly adjusting her evaluation of him.

He was stronger then she had first thought, in a way that wasn't completely human. Perhaps a fifth of that power was due to psychic buildup, perhaps a quarter due to telekinetic and telepathic abilities, but the rest she could only compare to what she felt from Gale, Silver, Bolt, or any other psychic pokemon trained for battle.

Curious. Humans weren't able to duplicate what psychic pokemon did, they couldn't. Just what was she dealing with?

_Why not? I just want to be left alone! I'm not doing anything wrong!_

_This is a wild pokemon sanctuary._

There was silence from the other psychic, and then he burst out, _I don't belong anywhere else! This is the only place I could go!_

Sabrina retreated slightly, and considered what to do next. _I want to help you._

_I don't need your help._

Of course he didn't. He was only completely untrained and at risk of doing something terrible, whether he wanted to or not. _If you're worried about owing me, don't be. My motives are purely selfish- you are a threat, until you're properly trained._

_DON'T talk to me about training!_

_Calm down!_ Sabrina forced herself to breathe deeply, and 'glared' at him with eyes that didn't exist. _You don't understand. The way you are now, you could self destruct. Well, here!_ And she shoved some of the information she knew about psychics with similar build up of their powers, and what had happened to them.

She could feel him scanning the information. He would probably get a headache from it, not knowing how to incorporate it into his own mind seamlessly, but they could work on that.

It didn't take an empath to feel the fear he felt, once he'd understood what she'd sent him. _That cannot happen._

_It can, and it does. I don't want it to happen to you._

_It will NOT happen to me!_

_Don't be stupid!_ she snapped. _You're a psychic; surely you can feel your power nearly escaping your hold, even now? I want to help you!_

_For selfish reasons._

_To keep you from self destructing, yes. And the sooner I teach you the basics of shielding, the sooner I can return to civilization. I have a date at a spa I am eager to keep._

The other psychic was silent, and Sabrina had a moment to worry. Had she sounded too impersonal? Her impression was of someone who valued his independence with a ferocity that she understood, even if she didn't like it. Trying to convince him that she was doing this out of the goodness of her heart- no, she wouldn't have believed it as a thirteen year old, and she judged this man to be somewhere around seventeen to twenty years old. He wouldn't believe it either.

_If you teach me, will you go away?_

_The sooner you can shield, the sooner I can go, yes._

_Fine. Teach me, then._

Sabrina sighed, and wondered if her body was rubbing its forehead. It felt almost like it was. _I cannot, at the moment. I need to be closer then this._

_NO!_

_Either you let me come to your camp to teach you, or I don't teach you anything. At all. And stay here. And I will talk to you every day, so you won't get any peace._

She waited for a response, using a little trick she had taught herself to fade into the background. It would seem to the other psychic that she had gone away again.

She could be patient. He was intelligent- well, all psychics were- and he now knew what faced him, if he didn't learn how to handle his powers and shield his mind. She was his only option, and he knew it. The only question was, how stubborn was he going to be?

Not very stubborn after all. It was hard to judge time as a disembodied spirit, but she thought it was perhaps an hour and a half later when she heard him.

It sounded like he was whispering, or very far away. More proof, as if she needed it, that he hadn't been trained properly. _Are you still there?_

She let herself fade back into the foreground again. _Yes._

_You can… come tomorrow. Do you need directions?_

_No._ After this long, she knew where he was. _I will see you by midmorning, then._

_Fine._

* * *

Mewtwo paced in front of his cave, paws clasped behind his back. Every five seconds, it seemed, he found himself looking in the direction the other psychic was. Or where the other psychic's camp had been last night.

The sheer gall of that- that _woman_- barging into _his_ privacy like that, saying he'd self-destruct and go mad if he didn't learn from her… Bah. He was fine. Mew would have mentioned it if there were a problem. Granted, Mew tended to forget anything and everything after a mere minute, so that was hardly reliable.

_That's not the point,_ he told himself. _This is now my home, and this _human_ seeks to run my life? I am free!_ He would just have to keep it that way.

He could hear the approach of something large and four legged. He turned to glare in that direction, just as a rapidash stepped out from between two large pine trees. The rider on the pokemon's back squinted, her eyes obviously taking a moment to adjust to the change in light level, before she saw him.

Her eyes widened. She leaned backward slightly, hands pulling at the reins. Mewtwo sighed, and curled his tail around his feet.

_Not what you expected?_ he asked, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

The human replied after a moment. "Not exactly. I was thinking a little less hair, to be honest." She cleared her throat, and dismounted. In a matter of minutes, she had the minimal equipment off the rapidash, and had piled it at the base of a tree. The rapidash tossed its head, and walked off a ways to begin grazing.

Mewtwo didn't move. Let the human approach, if she dared. He nearly sneered, but kept his face blank. If he moved, the wench would probably run away.

In a second, the wench had transformed from nervous to furious. "I am _not_ a wench!" she bellowed, surprisingly loud for such a tiny human. She glared up at him, and jabbed one finger in his direction. "Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's not happening- and stop shouting your thoughts, it's giving me a headache!"

Involuntarily, he took a step backwards. But he hadn't- but he didn't-

"But you did and you do, kitty-cat. Which is why you need to learn shields."

Mewtwo shook his head, and sighed. _Fine,_ he spat.

"Glad to have your agreement," the wench- _woman_- muttered. She stomped towards him, looking absurd instead of intimidating. If she hit five feet, it was only because her shoes gave her an extra half-inch. Mewtwo felt a bit like a grown persian being attacked by a weeks old meowth kit.

The woman stopped only three feet away from him, and held out one hand. "Sabrina," she said. "Nice to meet you, I'm sure."

_Mewtwo,_ he replied, but didn't extend his own hand. He knew when someone was only doing something to be polite.

Sabrina narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't push the issue. "I'm going to be terribly rude, so you'll just have to deal with it. How'd you come to this? Didn't your parents teach you shielding?"

Parents? What parents? _I don't have any,_ he said, voice tight. With anger, not grief, though judging by Sabrina's expression, she took it for the later.

"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry." She seemed to shake off her sympathy, and pointed at a boulder just big enough to act as a chair. "Well, it's time to fix that lack. If you'd take a seat, please?"

Mewtwo quirked one eyebrow, but moved to comply. If the human got too offensive, he could always just get rid of her, he supposed.

The human glared, and took a seat on the ground in front of the rock. Mewtwo hesitated, feeling suddenly awkward. He was used to looming over people, simply by virtue of his height, but, somehow this felt different.

"Oh, just sit down. It's not like you can sit cross legged, can you?"

_Well, no, but-_

"If you'd be comfortable on the ground, however you want to sit, go ahead. Otherwise, take the rock."

After another second's hesitation, he sat down on the rock. Sabrina smirked.

_Now what?_ he asked, the fur on his shoulders bristling.

"Start with an explanation, I guess." Sabrina propped head on her hand, and looked up at him. "You've been erasing people's memories, when they get within about five miles of this place."

He had _what_? Mewtwo shook his head, unable to properly form his protest.

"Oh, don't worry. I figured out why, and… Look, here's the deal. You don't have any shields. A five year old telepath with only a little bit of power could read your mind right now. Take a good _look_ at me, and you'll see what I'm going to teach you."

Somehow, for some reason, the way she'd said 'look' made him think of using his mind, not his eyes.

She wasn't invisible, entirely. It was more that she was contained, not one bit of her self leaking out. He gave an inaudible grunt, and focused on that shield, trying to figure out how she'd done it. He pushed at the shield- and she pushed back, forcing him into his body before he realized it.

"That's a shield," Sabrina said. "When did you first notice all the chatter?"

_Since birth,_ Mewtwo replied, and frowned. _Why?_

"Um, so it's not a recent development… is it? I mean, you weren't driven to hermit-hood from birth, were you?"

Hermit-hood? He shook his head no. Then, as if the words were being dragged from him, he spoke. _I was always aware, but it was mere background noise. But, recently, it's as if someone turned up the volume. I can hear- everything, now._

Sabrina looked surprised, then frowned. "Well… Hm." She almost glared at him, and then smiled. "I have a theory," she said, in a sing-song tone of voice.

_You're going to share it, aren't you?_

"Of course. Now, you're obviously very strong."

_Obviously._

"Hush, I'm not done yet. Now, just as a defense, you might have raised partial shields on instinct- but they wouldn't have held for all that long. Bit like expecting wicker walls to hold up against a storm. Maybe they'll survive one or two spats of rain, but more then that? Not a chance."

Mewtwo blinked. _Are you comparing my mental stability to building projects?_

"Got any better comparisons?" Sabrina waited a moment, then snorted. "Didn't think so. Anyways, you had shields, which kept you sane, but they wouldn't have been enough, and they eventually fell. Which is why you're having so much trouble now."

That made an insane sort of sense. Mewtwo stood up and walked away, trying to control his emotions. He wanted to rage at the world, to hide away in his cave. Part of him was desperate to learn how to block out those voices, while the rest of him just wanted the human to go away.

"It's alright, you know," Sabrina said, her voice surprisingly gentle. "You're not the first person this has happened to."

_You're not the first person…_ There had been others?

"Well, of course!" she said, replying to his unvoiced thought. That was going to get annoying, and soon. "Well, nearly every psychic who isn't taught shielding from birth… Humans, mostly, but I had to teach Gale when she evolved. This is actually quite common."

Mewtwo turned around and nodded. _So, shall we start?_ he asked.

"No time like the present. Sit down. I'm afraid the first part is going to be a bit boring."


	4. Chapter 4

**Shades of Violet**

Sabrina was very, very thankful for her shields. The thoughts running around her mind weren't the nicest, or most polite, and her- student, she supposed- seemed rather touchy.

At least it explained a few nagging mysteries!

He felt like a psychic pokemon to her, because he _was_ a psychic pokemon! He was both young and old; obviously physically mature, with mental maturity to match, but probably only four or five years old. The feline pokemon were like that, racing through their infancy and kitten-hood, and then spending the rest of their lives as mature adults. It even explained why he didn't have any actual training for his telepathy. If he'd been caught very young, young enough that his powers simply hadn't developed yet…

_Okay, bad thought,_ Sabrina thought, and bit the tip of her tongue. Psychic pokemon had the mentalities most like humans. Some species of pokemon couldn't care less if their progeny were captured. Psychics, at least the vast majority of them, were fiercely protective of their young ones. Mewtwo was a powerful psychic, and therefore his parents were powerful psychics. What had stopped them from rescuing him from whatever trainer had captured him? Even if he'd had siblings, one of the adults would have remained with the kittens, while the other would have gone to wreak vengeance.

Unless the adults couldn't. If they had been too badly hurt, or worse, killed…

Sabrina kept her coolly indifferent mask up, when all she wanted to do was offer comfort. Poor fellow, growing up without his parents. He must have escaped his trainer, but he wouldn't have been socialized to his own species. The wild pokemon probably drove him off. Without mental shields, they would be doubly hostile.

She did wonder what his species was, exactly, but maybe he was a crossbreed. It didn't matter, anyways.

Once Mewtwo had settled back down on the rock, Sabrina cleared her throat. She could hear, distantly, his thoughts, but she politely ignored them. At least he was trying to be quiet.

"So, the first thing you have to know is how a person shields," she said, and propped her chin on one hand. Now, how had her old teacher, Merric, put it? "You have to ground and center," she began, only to be interrupted.

_What is grounding and centering?_ Mewtwo asked, staring at her like- well, like a predator with prey in sight.

So, the very basics then. That wasn't so bad, at least he didn't have anything to unlearn. "You've already got a bit of a grasp on it, instinctual and all, but obviously it's time to stop taking baby steps." It was a risk, but Sabrina had told Skull to stay nearby but out of sight, and to rescue her if she were in any danger.

She dropped her shields.

Immediately, she was bombarded by- everything. Everything and anything. Mewtwo- Firebrand- Marina down at camp looking for something to eat and Gale nervous and pacing because Sabrina hadn't taken her along, Bolt practicing with Silver- the local pokemon as they went about their lives, their voices quiet and not so much voices but simply glowing sparks in her mind's eye, drifting through the woods.

Mewtwo recoiled from her as if she was something dangerous, his eyes wide and, dare she think it? Impressed.

She's strong, he thought, his emotions bands of color and texture Sabrina couldn't interpret. Then, his thoughts darkened. If she's this strong, then she can challenge me, and I-

"That's enough of that," she snapped, interrupting him before he could complete the thought. "I want you to watch. Do you see how I am right now, how my energy's reaching beyond my body?" Far beyond her body, she knew. To the full limit of her range, it felt like.

When Mewtwo's eyes focused on her again, and she sensed the full weight of his attention, she began to work.

First, she gathered in her energy, condensing it, wrapping it around her and inside of her, until it was coiled around what she privately thought of as her 'core', her center of being. While her energy was varying shades of lavender, her core burnt white-hot, like a miniature sun centered in her chest, just below her heart. If it ever went out, her psychic powers would be gone forever.

She could feel Mewtwo following along with what she was doing, on a deeper level then telepathy. She could feel his understanding of this part of the work, it was similar to what he did when fighting. Well, time to introduce him to something new.

With the gathered power, Sabrina reached both inside herself and into the ground, anchoring herself as she shaped more of her power into shields as thin as tissue paper. That blocked out most of the pokemon in the area, though she could still feel Mewtwo and Firebrand, Bolt and Silver, and especially Gale. Slowly, so he could continue to follow what she was doing, Sabrina layered on more shields, until they were at normal thickness, when she was in a city.

She opened her eyes, and looked up at his astonished expression. "That is grounding, centering, and shielding," she said. "Want to give it a try?"

_Of course! But- how?_

She didn't smile, though she wanted to. It seemed a simple demonstration had shattered his reluctance to being taught. He needed to know this, she wanted to teach him. Why fight it?

"To start, I want you to turn your focus inward. You should be able to feel your power, and it all comes from your center. Right here, in fact." Greatly daring, she reached out to point at Mewtwo's chest, almost touching him. His tail twitched, but he didn't move away.

She leaned back, and watched with her mind's eye as he struggled to comply with her directions. He might have thought his progress was non-existent, as he tried and failed to find his center. Sabrina, though, was quite pleased. She only knew of two or three other psychics that had grasped 'grounding and centering' so quickly. All he needed to learn now was how it felt to do it all himself.

He was slowly getting it, she decided. "No, move more slowly," she said, stopping him from yet another try. "Just because I did all that at warp speed doesn't mean you can, or should. Especially not while you're just getting the hang of it."

_You are hardly as strong as I am,_ Mewtwo snarled, obviously frustrated.

Sabrina shrugged. "Well, no, but I do have at least a decade's worth of experience on you," she pointed out. "How old are you anyways?"

He didn't answer, merely shook his head and went back to trying to center himself. He went about it much more slowly, this time.

Sabrina finally called a halt after three hours. Mewtwo was getting tired and frustrated, her butt was numb, and simply watching someone work on the rudiments of psychic work was boring. "I don't know about you," she said, getting to her feet, "but I'm starving. That's certainly enough for today."

_But I haven't begun to shield yet!_ Mewtwo protested, his paws clenched and tail lashing the air.

"Hey, it took me three months just to get where you are now, so relax. You're learning quite quickly." Sabrina tapped one finger against her chin, and considered her student. Did she dare? She wasn't even sure if it would work, or if she could hold it for more then a few hours. But how could she not? He was, as he'd pointed out, much stronger then she was, with a greater mental reach. "There's something else we could do," she said, and scowled when he looked sharply at her. "No, I don't want to teach you psychic fighting, I have enough of that in my day job!"

_Then what?_

"Look, what I think I can do is maybe give you some temporary shields. I'm not sure how well it'd work, or how long, but if we don't quiet your telepathy you're going to have trouble eating and sleeping, if you're not having issues right now."

Mewtwo looked away, pacing beside her as they walked back to the mouth of his cave. _Would it take you very long to set up?_ he asked.

"Not so very long," she replied. "And we'll know right away if it's even possible or not. I don't know. I've never done this for a pokemon before, but your mind isn't all that different from my students."

He stopped walking, and stared down at her. _Very well,_ he said.

Sabrina nodded, and stretched her mind towards him. It would have been even easier if she were touching his forehead, but with them so close, it really didn't matter. In seconds, she was fashioning a makeshift shield out of his own power, and a touch of her own. Judging by his wide eyes, he could already notice a difference.

It wasn't a proper shield, not by a long shot, but at least it quieted things down for him. Sabrina backed away, keeping a careful eye on the shields. They didn't fall, but she couldn't judge their longevity.

"Well, that's the best I can do," she admitted. "Normally, there would be at least three other psychics to keep an eye on the shields and keep it from falling, but I do need to sleep at some point."

_No, this is fine,_ he said, his eyes still very wide. _Even if it falls in five minutes…_

Even if it fell in five minutes, he would still have had a respite. Sabrina nodded. "Well, if you're sure, I'm going back to camp. I have several anxious pokemon to calm down."

Judging by his arch look, he was curious, but couldn't quite bring himself to ask. She took pity on him, and explained.

"Gale thought you'd kill me, and she doesn't even know you're a pokemon."

_Oh._

Sabrina chuckled, and went to get Firebrand tacked up so she could go back to camp.

**

* * *

**Gale finally finished her lecture, her ears pinned back against her head and her eyes narrowed. Sabrina sighed, and held out her arms. "I know you were worried," she said, "but I was quite safe. Skull was watching the entire time."

The tyranitar looked up at the sound of his name, and then went back to digging in the dirt. Sabrina wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but he seemed quite intent on it. Maybe he was just making a bed.

Gale hissed that she didn't quite trust the dark type. She certainly didn't trust this powerful psychic, especially not now she knew he wasn't human. A human was dangerous, a pokemon more so. Psychic or not, he was a wild animal.

"I'm taking every precaution," Sabrina said. "Really, Gale, you're being quite paranoid."

Didn't Sabrina think she should let Lance know what was going on? Bolt asked, before Gale said something their trainer could take offense at. After all, this was something Lance had made them do.

"Good point. Is camp distinctive enough for you to teleport back?" Sabrina asked Silver. The alakazam nodded. "Good. We'll go now. I want everyone to behave while I'm gone. Keep an eye on Marina and Firebrand, would you?"

Gale sighed and nodded. Sabrina set the espeon down, and walked over to Silver's side. "Alright," she said.

The alakazam wrapped one arm around her shoulder, and then the world disappeared. For an eternity, it seemed, they floated in an electric blue mist. Then, with a jolt and a thud, they landed in the middle of Lance's living room.

The man himself yelped and jumped to his feet, a bowl of popcorn falling to the floor. Sabrina eyed her cousin with ill-concealed amusement. "Having an evening in?" she asked, and sat down on one of the overstuffed chairs Lance collected. She returned Silver to his pokeball, and smirked at Lance.

"What- aren't you supposed to be in the mountains?"

"Distinctive camp," she replied, and sighed. "Could you look any more like a stereotypical bachelor?" she asked.

Lance looked down at his worn jeans with the holes at the knees, and his ragged sweatshirt with the sleeves chopped off. "Only if I got a potbelly," he replied. "Did you just miss me so much you had to visit, or are you here for a reason?"

"H'oh boy, right. Reason for the visit." Sabrina rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "Well, I found the psychic."

"Yeah?" Her cousin leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. "You took care of it, right?"

It? She bristled instantly, before forcing herself to relax. Lance didn't know, couldn't know. "Him, and I'm working on it. He's just a kid, Lance. He didn't know what he was doing."

Lance's eyes widened, and he leaned back. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sabrina said, and shook her head. There was simply no way she could tell Lance that Mewtwo was a pokemon. For one, Lance wasn't a psychic. He simply wouldn't understand. He would think that she had to capture Mewtwo, for the safety of the people. Doing that, though, would probably drive the pokemon insane. No, she would create a fiction that Mewtwo was human. Everything else, including her vague plan of bringing him back to her gym for further training, would stay the same.

Mewtwo would probably argue about further training, but she'd just have to think up arguments for it. She did have time for that.

"So? This kid?"

Sabrina blinked, and looked out the window. "Not really much of a kid," she murmured, quickly deciding on what to tell Lance. "His name is Matthew, and he's like I am. Late bloomer."

Lance just about turned blood red, blushing. "Oh. So, what are you doing?"

"Basic shielding for now. I can't take him any closer to people, the noise would drive him mad right now. He's learning fast, though. I think he'll be able to shield in a week or so. Certainly within the month."

"So long as you have a plan."

"Don't I always?"

Lance smirked, and brushed back pale green hair. "Yeah, right. Hurry on back, cuz. Your foundling's probably worried about you."

She doubted that, but didn't protest. "I'll update you when we've actually made progress. What's been going on in my absence?"

"The usual, nothing urgent. We'll send a message if we need you."

Sabrina nodded, and let Silver out of his pokeball. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders again, and teleported them back to camp.

The pokemon were quite obviously relieved to have her back, Gale especially. Sabrina just shook her head and went to work making dinner. She was hungry, and tired, and had to prepare for tomorrow's work with Mewtwo.

Her head hurt.

**

* * *

**Sabrina was in two places at once. Her physical body was lying down in the tent, breathing evenly, looking asleep. Her physical body was asleep, in truth, though her mind would get no rest this night. Not until she found what she was looking for.

Her mind-body stood outside the tent, looking up at the night sky with eyes that couldn't see. _I'll be back by dawn at the latest,_ she told Gale.

The espeon hissed, her tail lashing angrily, before her anger collapsed. Very well, she said. Take care.

_I shall._

Dream walking was Sabrina's own, personal talent. She could go into the dreams of others, or use her gift to go into her own memories, reliving them with the clarity both of hindsight, and of having it happen in front of her all over again. She didn't often use it, but it was useful, at times.

She turned, and walked back into the tent, and into her own body. She was pulled down and in, in and down, into a dream-memory that turned into pure memory.

She stood at the back of a classroom. The room was empty of all but two people, herself and her teacher, Gary Muldoon. As always, remembering Merric made her heart lurch. He had been old enough to be her great-grandfather, and so very _there_ it had seemed that he would be able to outlive her. In her memory, he stood tall and strong again, with a full head of hair, though it had gone gun-metal gray long before she had been born. His eyes had been- were, in the memory- blue, like storm-lightning.

She could see herself, seated in one of the desks, too young and too small to sit comfortably in it yet. This was a high school, she remembered, and her memory-self barely six or seven. Not yet young enough to have more than a glimmer of psychic power. Her dark green hair had been cropped short, so it hung about her face in tufts. She had worn glasses then, thinking they had made her look so grown up and smart.

Sabrina smiled at the memory, then turned and walked away. It wasn't what she was looking for. She needed actual lessons, not Gary teaching theory.

She stepped through the wall, and into a new memory. Merric, now, her actual _teacher_, the man who had stepped up and kept her from going insane.

They were at her home now, in the very posh living room. Sabrina was both watcher and participant.

She was nervous, cradling the tea cup in hands that trembled. Merric was calm, in contrast, hands resting lightly on his knees. He was handsome, she thought, his brilliant red hair threaded with silver. He was smiling, his eyes alight with amusement.

"Nice to know I meet with your approval," he said.

Sabrina looked up, her eyes wide, pleading. "What's happening to me?" she asked, and nearly sobbed aloud. "Why is this happening? I know what to do!"

"There, there." Merric patted the air with one hand. "It's alright. You're just a late bloomer, that's all. Late bloomers are always powerful. You haven't learnt how to put the earplugs in yet. I'm going to teach you how."

Watcher-Sabrina stepped back, unable to stand the emotional tumult she had gone through then.

She watched the lessons, moving from one to another, remembering what Merric had taught her. How he had taught her.

She finished by dawn, rising up out of her memories into her body, and let herself rest. She would go meet Mewtwo at midday. She needed real sleep now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Shades of Violet**

Sabrina urged Firebrand into a canter, and the rapidash charged up the side of the mountain with ease. She bared her teeth, eyes narrowed. She was late. She'd slept in and she was late and damn it.

Mewtwo was waiting for her.

Firebrand snorted and shied away from the psychic's sudden appearance. Sabrina yelped and grabbed onto the saddle front, just managing to stay on. Mewtwo himself stumbled back several steps, his eyes wide.

Firebrand stopped panicking, and simply stood there, looking as sheepish as a horse could. Sabrina swung down out of the saddle before she fell, and pulled it off his back. "Silly creature," she muttered. "And you, what'd you think you were doing? Horses don't like squishy things underfoot."

Mewtwo lashed his tail. _You're late._

"I know I'm late, that's why I was rushing."

Three days, she thought, settling the saddle in its usual place. She had been teaching Mewtwo for three days now, and already they had a routine. She came up midmorning, they worked until mid afternoon, and then she guided him through a meditation session until hunger forced them to stop.

Most of the time he let her be the teacher. Other times, like now, it seemed he just wanted her gone.

_If you're not going to teach me-_

Sabrina let her shields fall and _glared_ at him. He flinched back. "Someone," she said, keeping her voice dry and clinical, "had a nightmare last night. I didn't get to sleep until just before dawn. We'll be working on making your shields linked to your power, so they don't fall when you're not maintaining them."

Shamefaced, Mewtwo nodded. Sabrina put her shields back up, and bit her lip. She wasn't going to apologize for snapping at him, but she still shouldn't have done it. It wasn't right, and it certainly wasn't proper for the teacher to lose her patience. Even if she was running on too little sleep and no breakfast.

"Come on," she said, more gently this time. "Let's get started."

Mewtwo trailed her over to their usual spot, the rock he sat on. She waved him to his seat even as she sank down herself. "Alright, let's start from the beginning. You're not shielding."

He winced, and closed his eyes. Slowly, but steadily, he gathered in his power and wound it in and around himself. He was just forming it into the basic shields she had shown him, when thunder boomed right in their ears.

Sabrina squeaked and nearly jumped out of her skin. Mewtwo yelled, making the first audible sound she had ever heard from him, and leapt to his feet. He raised one hand, which she thought was incredibly stupid-

-then she looked up.

A lightning bolt, like a giant flaming lance, was headed right towards them.

Mewtwo jerked his hand to one side, and the bolt _followed_ his gesture. Sabrina yelled and raised her arms against the explosion, as the lightning bolt hit the side of the mountain. The expected stone shards never hit, and when she cautiously looked, Mewtwo had an actual, psychic shield in place. Like a bubble of blue light, it held out stone shards and the rain that was now falling.

"Well," Sabrina said. She took a deep breath, and shook her head. "Well," she said again. "That's the last time I ignore the sky."

Mewtwo gave her a dark look. _Your rapidash bolted,_ he said.

"Firebrand's probably halfway down the mountain by now, if not farther," she replied. "I'll find him after the storm blows itself out. How long can that take? An hour?"

Mewtwo's look turned from dark to pitying. _You're not very good outside of a city, are you?_

"What?"

_We should get under real shelter,_ Mewtwo said, not really answering her.

Sabrina scowled, and stood up. "Fine. Be that way. Your cave, or just any old tree?"

Instead of replying, Mewtwo grabbed her arm and dragged her to the cave. Sabrina was too surprised to protest.

Actual, physical contact with the cat was forbidden. He had never said anything, never thought anything, never so much as implied anything, but she had known it on that same deep, instinctual level all extra sensory powers stemmed from. Mewtwo did not like being touched, and it was the teacher's place to make the student feel safe. So, she didn't touch him, kept all gestures in his direction to a minimum, and kept at least three feet of distance between them.

He had just utterly shattered the unwritten rule. She wasn't quite sure what to do, now.

She gathered herself together, and frowned. She would continue on as she had been doing. As always, it was the teacher's job to make the student feel safe. If Mewtwo felt comfortable enough to touch her, then it was up to him to set the boundaries. She didn't even know how to start, with that sort of thing.

She looked around the cave, impressed. She never could have made cupboards out of rocks, shelves, and irregularities in the rock wall. Nor could she have made a comfortable sitting area or bed. She was just too much a city girl to live without the basic creature comforts, like synthetic fabrics.

_Are you done yet?_ Mewtwo asked, the fur along his shoulders and necks bristling. Sabrina smiled brightly at him, and gestured around the cave.

"Love what you've done with the place. Very comfortable. Are you going to shield now, or are we going to wait for the rain to stop?"

He glared, and sat down on his bed. Sabrina settled down on the ground, hands on her knees, and watched as he created his shields. It took longer than usual, no doubt due to the thunder that came practically every minute. If it had been her putting up the shields, she never would have noticed being hit by a lightning bolt, let alone mere noise, but Mewtwo was a beginner. He could be forgiven for being distracted.

"Alright," she said, once his shields were up and he'd relaxed some. "Now, you're currently concentrating on your shields to keep them up. We're going to make them a permanent feature."

Mewtwo arched one eyebrow, and leaned forward slightly. _And just how do you propose to do that?_ he asked.

"I'm going to teach you about shunts, now." She was just about to continue when Mewtwo interrupted her.

_What is a 'shunt'? And what does it have to do with psychic power?_

It was only sleep deprivation that made an interruption an irritation. She took a deep breath, and forced her emotions to the side. "A full description requires a bit of history," she pointed out. Mewtwo gestured at her with one hand, and she shrugged. "Alright, five minutes of your life. Back when humans had the occasional pyrokinesis and cyrokinesis, among other things, it was more... not important, imperative, that a psychic didn't lose control. Considering some psychics set things on fire, or froze them solid, when they went spastic... Shields were the only way to keep that from happening, and if a psychic had a nightmare when they weren't shielded..." She didn't have to continue with that. Mewtwo's wince was enough. "Precisely.

"So, some genius managed to figure out how to make a shunt, which is almost exactly what it sounds like. A psychic shunt is like a drainage ditch, or medical shunt. It takes unwanted water, or in this case energy, and moves it somewhere else, in this case your shield."

_And why did you not teach me this earlier?_ Mewtwo asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Because I didn't know you'd grasp shielding so quickly," she replied. "You have to have a firm grasp of bringing a shield up and taking it down before you can make it a permanent part of your mind."

_I see... Well?_

Sabrina smirked. "Patience. Good things come to those who wait."

Obviously he didn't believe that piece of tripe, considering how he growled and stood up to loom over her. _Sabrina, _he warned.

"Yes, yes. Sit down, would you? It's called gathering your thoughts." She propped her chin on her hand, and looked angelically up at him. She was not going to be intimidated.

Quite obviously seething, or at least very irritated, he did so. Explaining shunts was extremely easy, especially considering her favorite metaphor, medical shunt. Mewtwo managed to grasp it easier then the shielding. Within nearly an hour, his shields wouldn't fall unless a stronger psychic broke them, or he took them down himself. Considering his strength, it was unlikely a stronger psychic would show up.

She nodded, and leaned back, a sign that the lesson was over. "Very nice," she approved. "I do want to make sure you have everything good and solid before I leave, but I think you've set a record for how quick you've learnt."

_You're leaving?_ Mewtwo asked, but not as if he was pleased. _Where are you going to go?_

"Hm?" Well, that was curious. Sabrina arched an eyebrow, but saw no harm in telling him. "Home, then a spa, then back home again. I do have a gym to run and other students to keep an eye on. Besides, I miss my shower."

He gave her an odd look, and stood up again. She remained seated as he moved to the mouth of the cave, the better to watch the rain.

_So I know everything you know, now?_ he asked, sounding less then pleased by the fact. Sabrina raised her eyebrows, confident that he couldn't see her surprise.

"No, of course not. You only wanted to learn shielding," she pointed out, and just stopped a smile from curving her lips. She still hadn't figured out a good, solid argument for Mewtwo to continue his psychic training with her- but maybe she didn't have to. Maybe he was going to convince himself.

_So what else is there to learn? I already know how to fight._ He didn't turn his head, didn't move in any way, but he looked... smaller, now, as if he were slumped over. _What else could I need?_

"Well, I don't know, and I don't want to waste your time with un-needful instructions," she pointed out. "Which is why I think I'd better return home before the tabloids start marrying me off to random people."

Mewtwo snorted, and finally looked back at her. _The rain is easing up,_ he said. _Maybe you should look for your rapidash now._

Sabrina nodded, and hid her smile as she stood up. She couldn't come up with a single argument why Mewtwo needed further training.

She'd just step aside and let him do the arguing for her.

**

* * *

**

Mewtwo followed Sabrina along, slipping from one piece of shelter to the next. He was no hunter- he preferred to snap his prey's neck at a distance, with telekinesis- but he was infinitely quieter then the human. She stumbled and blundered through the wilderness like- well, like a human- and her espeon was hardly any better. Granted, the pokemon was quieter, but oblivious.

He wasn't entirely sure why he was following the human, save only that it was nice to be able to do so. He wasn't broadcasting his thoughts to all and sundry, he wasn't listening to everyone and everything on the mountain. And being able to follow his teacher around without her notice was gratifying.

She was muttering to herself, various things involving mud, rain, insects, and the rapidash. Her clothes were splattered with mud and soaked through, and she shivered every other second.

It was still raining, more like a fine mist then actual drops of water. The damp made Sabrina's hair fritz, even as it made the espeon look like a glowing wilderness spirit. Mewtwo wasn't sure how he, himself, looked, but doubtless somewhere between 'wilderness spirit' and 'demon from the lake'.

He spotted the rapidash in question long before the human or the espeon. It was standing, head down, beneath a tree, quivering in every muscle. It was an almost pathetic sight.

"There you are!" Sabrina burst out, having caught sight of the rapidash. The horse tensed, its head jerking up and looking ready to bolt. Sabrina didn't notice, or didn't understand what that meant. She started to run, stepped in a puddle, stepped on a mud slick, and fell down the hillside.

Screaming the entire way.

The espeon yelped, and raced after her mistress, looking less like an ethereal being and more like a flesh and blood fool. The rapidash snorted and made to bolt, but was stopped by a sudden spate of heavy rain.

Mewtwo leaned against a tree and smirked. _Did you mean to do that?_ he asked, surprising both pokemon. Not, unfortunately, Sabrina; she just looked up at him and scowled.

"Of course not. Ugh."

The last was, he assumed, due to the mud coating her head to toe, and not because he had been following her. She scrambled to her feet, and tossed her braid back over her shoulder. She didn't give the rapidash time to make another run for it, now that the rain had gone back to a fine mist, simply returned it to its pokeball.

Mewtwo frowned. He did not approve of pokeballs, but now wasn't the time to get into an argument. _You look a mess,_ he pointed out.

"You think?" She started walking up the hill, and promptly slid to the bottom. "Oh, come on!"

Mewtwo continued to lean back against his chosen tree, watching as she managed, by dint of grabbing on to grass and ferns and bushes, to get up to where he was standing. The espeon had an easier time of it, simply running up the side of the hill and shaking the mud off its paws.

"What are you smirking at?" Sabrina snapped, glaring up at him.

_I know a place you can bathe,_ he said. _Warmer water._

"Yeah?" Her expression shifted from upset to wistful. "I'd have to get my change of clothes, though."

_So do so. Meet me at my cave._

She frowned, then nodded. Mewtwo turned and strolled back to his cave. Once he was out of sight, he indulged in a frown. How had she sensed him?

Or was it simply that she was too used to surprises to react to them? It didn't matter, either way. She would be leaving soon, he had his mental shields, and he wouldn't have to put up with her lectures.

Even if they were halfway interesting.

He shook his head, and settled himself just outside his cave to wait.

He didn't have to wait very long; Sabrina came trudging up through the trees within a reasonable amount of time. What surprised him, though, was that he hadn't sensed her approach. It was something about her that he had noticed before; unless he was looking at her, she could have simply not been there.

Mewtwo frowned. He wasn't sure he liked that. It would seem that there was more to shielding then just keeping his thoughts in and everyone else out. And she hadn't taught him.

"So," she said, and held up a backpack. "Where's this bath?"

He looked down at her face and nearly smirked. _It's this way,_ he said, and led the way through the trees.

After only a little walking, they came out on a small, spring fed pond. The water was clear, and was surrounded by moss covered rocks. Sabrina put her bag down and walked forward a few steps.

"You're sure it's warmer?" she asked.

_It's not fed by glacial melt,_ he pointed out.

"True. Alright, I guess I trust you." She tugged off her boots, and dropped them on the ground. Mewtwo took a step forward, then another, and still she didn't notice him. Or didn't care.

Mewtwo narrowed his eyes, planted one hand in the middle of Sabrina's back, and shoved her into the spring.

He leapt back, and chuckled as she shrieked and splashed. "What the hell!" she howled, standing up. "What- Mewtwo! You bastard son of a bitch!"

_I'm afraid your terminology is off,_ he pointed out. _Only female dogs are 'bitches'. And pokemon don't marry._

Sabrina waded out of the water, and stood on the bank, shaking. "You're still a bastard. What did you push me for?"

He tilted his head and tried to look innocent. _I felt like it?_ He tilted his head the other way, and chuckled. _You're already cleaner._

She folded her arms, and frowned. "You know... Oh, never mind. Pass me my bag?"

_Here._ The bag floated through the air to Sabrina's feet, and she scowled.

"Show off. You don't drink from this pond, do you?" She crouched, and began rummaging through her bag.

_No, why?_

"Means I can use soap." She set a few things aside on one of the rocks, but left most of her things in the bag. A smart move, he decided; it was still very wet, and had not yet stopped raining.

She straightened up, and pulled off her shirt. Mewtwo yelped and nearly tripped over his feet, despite standing still. _What are you doing?_

Sabrina gave him an odd look. "Bathing? I can't get clean if I'm wearing my clothes, you know."

_But- but- in front of me?_

"So leave."

Mewtwo flexed his hands, nodded once, and left the small clearing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Shades of Violet**

Giovanni watched the progressing battle with little interest, sipping at a snifter of brandy. There was little doubt to the outcome, considering the opponent was a twelve year old boy with only an eevee left, and Giovanni's steelix was rather enthusiastically trying to kill the oversized rodent. Nothing more than pleasant pre-dinner theater, honestly.

He recalled the steelix before it could complete its self appointed mission of murder. There were rules against letting pokemon kill each other during battle, unfortunately. It happened, of course, but not in league sanctioned battles. Ah, well, that was the price of power. Personal time was very carefully hoarded, and he refused to spend time lurking about in the wilderness, hoping for a passing child no one would miss.

"Perhaps you can try again, when you've trained some more," he said, not really paying attention to the distraught child. "But you'd best go to the pokemon center."

The boy left, and Giovanni sighed. "Domino," he began, only to cut himself short. Of course, Domino was out investigating the situation in the Northern Wildlife Refuge. She was only the most minor of telepaths, but her ability to shield her mind defeated even Sabrina's skills.

Important as it was for his right hand agent to be the one to do the investigation, it meant that he was suddenly bothered by minor details about his various businesses that she normally dealt with. What did it matter to him that property taxes were going up? Only his legal businesses were bothered by such nonsense, and _that_ was easily taken care of with a word in the right ear.

He sighed, and stood up. It was time for dinner, and chef Edwards would be distraught if Giovanni were late. That man was dramatic, but very, very good at what he did. It didn't pay to annoy him.

At least, Giovanni thought, Domino had managed to arrange a companion for her boss while he was away. The young, female Admin of one of his business holdings- he wasn't truly sure which one- was already waiting for him in the dining room. Judging by the mostly full glass of wine, she hadn't been waiting long.

"Ah, Susanna. Sorry to keep you waiting, my dear, but I'm afraid duty called." He set his snifter of brandy down on a side table, normally used for the breakfast buffet, and walked over to his dinner companion's side. "You look lovely. If our positions were reversed, I would find you well worth waiting for."

Susanna chuckled, and stood up. "Well, thank you for that, Sir. I honestly haven't been waiting long."

Giovanni gestured her back to her seat, and sat down across from her. She really was beautiful, he decided. Her dark green hair looked completely natural, though the dark red eyes was no doubt due to colored contacts. She was just a shade darker then he preferred his women to be, but it was hardly a deterrent. More like she had spent a full week tanning, honestly.

He lifted his wineglass, and she solemnly echoed his gesture. They both sipped at the vintage, before shifting the talk to some meaningless chatter about local news.

The meal was, of course, excellent, and while the company was almost exactly what he desired, there was a jarring note. Unlike his favorite companion, Susanna did not challenge him. She knew quite well that her job depended on his favor.

She would probably have a heart attack, if she knew that he actually preferred a good argument. So rarely did anyone disagree with him; Domino was more apt to point out flaws in his plans then agree with anything he said, and his arguments with Sabrina were... legendary.

Dinner ended, after a splendid raspberry torte. Giovanni stood up and aided Susanna from her seat, though she hardly needed it. At least she was the right height. She was only five feet tall, though when she wore her heels she was at least an inch taller. The absolute perfect height for the women he preferred, to be honest.

But for tonight, he wasn't in the mood for anything more vigorous then dinner and discussion. Perhaps his companion would be relieved. Whether she was or not didn't matter. No, tonight, he had orders to finalize, for both sides of his businesses.

"I look forward to speaking with you further tomorrow, Susanna," he said, after he had escorted her to her door in the guest wing. "I trust you will have a pleasant evening."

"Yes, Sir. And- thank you. I appreciate the time you've given to my proposal."

"My pleasure," he assured her, and moved only once she had closed the suite door behind her. His jaw clenched, and he moved through the hallways of his home at a fast clip. There was work to be done, and Domino would return by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. He wished to get as much out of the way as possible, so he could focus all his energy upon the report she would bring back.

The reports on Team Rocket's activities were heavily coded, but it was merely like reading a different language. He was fluent in the code, and hardly gave a thought to translating into proper English. Several thefts there, the black market was flourishing, racketeering and prostitution were bringing money into the coffers at a steady rate. Though- and there was an interesting note here- a local cop had recently been making connections her boss, a police captain in Giovanni's employ, didn't like.

He made a note to have the cop watched, and then hesitated. Would it not be better to have the cop killed? He re-read the report, and snorted. Captain Rogan was obviously paranoid. The cop in question, one Detective Truitt, hardly had a sterling record. Rogan suggested having Truitt killed before the man uncovered anything worrisome. Really, it would be a waste of time and manpower, having Truitt killed. Far easier to have him retired. It would be quite easy to do so.

Furthermore, if several of the lowest rungs of Giovanni's operations were removed, well, they hardly deserved their positions if that were so. No, it would be best to leave the cop where he was, and let the bottom feeders deal with him on their own.

The rest of the reports were much of the same routine; minor issues were cropping up in places, nothing he didn't expect. It was an experience, reading the reports, however. Still, the only person he trusted to deal with such details was Domino. None of his other agents were quite so loyal.

With the Team Rocket business handled, he turned to the more legal side of things, which was amusingly similar to the illegal. Some quarters were bringing in profits, some were reporting minor losses. Corporate espionage and sabotage was reported, as well as the retaliations.

It was past midnight by the time he finished, but there was a sense of satisfaction with it as well. It had been some time since he had his eyes on the mundane details of his work. It was almost refreshing.

He got ready for bed quickly, refusing to glance at the clock. He knew it was late; he didn't need to know how late. Obviously, though, he was getting older. It was harder to stay up to this hour, working, than it had been when he first took over the business.

**

* * *

**

The next day, just as he predicted, he was exhausted. At the very least there were no battles planned for today, as along with his exhaustion came a low grade headache. The plaintive whining of children would only irritate him now.

Susanna was perceptive, at least. She picked up on his mood quite obviously, and kept quiet, murmuring her comments about the breakfast. He appreciated that, he supposed. It had been some time since any of his arranged companions were quite so attentive to his needs. Then again, the ones who were good in bed were very rarely as perceptive, and the ones who were perceptive weren't quite as good in bed as one would think.

There had only been one woman in his life to be both a successful lover as well as pleasant to be around for an extended period of time. That she was currently married was a minor stumbling block, to be sure, but not an insurmountable obstacle.

He smiled, and escorted Susanna to his business office. His personal one was off limits for everyone except his secretary and Domino.

For nearly two hours, he and Susanna went over her proposal for- ah, yes, now he remembered where she worked- the Cantilever Group. It specialized in medical equipment, and she had proposed expanding the production to cover not just humans, but pokemon medicine as well.

That was what this weeklong meeting was about, going over the hows and whys and possible difficulties of such expansion. Pokemon medicine wasn't quite as strictly regimented as human, of course, but the Cantilever Group had such a sterling reputation he was loath to risk it.

It was far too useful as a cover. For how could the leader of the _Cantilever Group_ have anything to do with Team Rocket? Besides being robbed by the criminals, of course, which had actually happened.

At the end of the two hours, nothing had been decided, but that was only to be expected. This was only the third day, and Giovanni had lawyers and accountants, doctors and scientists and various people who had received their university degrees in business going over the proposal as well. They would give him their thoughts each afternoon, and he would bring it up in his next morning meeting with Susanna. Depending on her responses and the recommendations of his people, he would go ahead with her plan, or he would not.

The day itself was passing smoothly. Lunch was a barbeque out on the patio, with chef Edwards making a presentation of the steaks. Susanna retired to her suite for the afternoon, for she had her own work to do pertaining to her job back at the Cantilever group and in defending her proposal.

Which left him free to return to his personal office, for the more delicate sides of his businesses- only to find someone already waiting for him.

It was not his secretary, for the earnest young man would never dream of sitting in the leather wingback chair, Giovanni's chair, nor of putting his feet up on the desk.

Domino, on the other hand, made something of a habit of it.

"You're back, I see," Giovanni observed, and stared pointedly at the boots on several important papers.

"Wow, I can see why you're the boss. So observant." Domino smiled, and got out of his chair. "Got your news."

He hummed, and sat down in his chair. The papers, he noticed, were unmarked. Fortunately for Domino, that. He set them to one side of his desk, and raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

She pulled a digital camera out of her pocket, and handed it over. "I think you'll find them very interesting," she said. "Remember our angry psychic kitty that ran away a few years back?"

Giovanni plugged the camera into his computer and started the pictures downloading. "Of course I do," he snapped. "Do you know how much money I've poured into the search?"

"Well, you can stop now," Domino said, just as the pictures stopped downloading and the first filled the screen. A rather distinctive creature stood on a mountainside, violet tail curved around his paws and face turned away from the camera.

Giovanni's breath caught, but not just because a three year search had finally finished. No, a rather urgent memory had just jumped to the forefront of his mind.

"And Sabrina?" he asked, rather more urgently then he meant. The league had sent her- on _his_ recommendation- out to the Northern Pokemon Refuge. If his creation had hurt her...

One fist clenched on his desk top, and he stared wordlessly at Domino.

His agent gave him a sympathetic look. She had been working for him when Sabrina had been a frequent visitor to the manor house. "She's fine," she said. "Apparently we were lax with his training, but she's fixed that pretty quickly. She'll be leaving soon, and then we can move in."

Giovanni took a deep breath, and nodded once. He looked back at the computer, only to see that the pictures were set on 'slideshow'. A new image filled the screen, Mewtwo and Sabrina, the clone seated on a rock and Sabrina obviously in mid-rant, pacing just in front of the clone, her mouth open and hands in the air.

She looked nothing like the regal creature he knew she was, rather like his persian riled into a battle frenzy.

"Prepare a team for capture," he hissed. "Then send me Melchior."

It was time, past time, for him to take back what was his. The clone's capture would be easy; the assassination of Sabrina's husband easier still. And then- Giovanni smiled, and took a deep breath. Well, one step at a time.

Domino nodded, and cracked her knuckles. "I'd give it three days," she said. "Enough time for Sabrina to leave, soon enough that Mewtwo should still be in the Refuge."

"Make it so," he hissed.

**End Notes**

So, short chapter is short, Giovanni's a Grade A bastard, I reveal a plot twist I've been holding in mind ever since I started this thing... All that's left is to deal with Mewtwo's teenage mindset, a few other things, and then a few more things. Can you predict the next surprise? Whoever does gets an OC named whatever they want.


	7. Chapter 7

**Shades of Violet**

Sabrina gathered her energy and lashed out, simultaneously shielding against a side assault. She was fighting for her life, now. Stupid, foolish, overconfident- the litany of her faults ran through her mind at hyper speed, even as she spun and sliced out with one hand. Her attacker jumped back, but the action wasn't without cost. She staggered, her footing nowhere near as steady as she needed, and the two others fighting against her took full advantage of her weakness.

Twin blasts hammered against her shields, even as her entire right side burned as if on fire. She cried out once, briefly, before gathering her energy and striking out. One of her attackers- by this point she couldn't tell which one- fell back with a cry. The other snarled and leapt forward, and by that point the third was on the attack again.

She was young, she was strong, and she was overmatched. Sabrina felt time slow down, that curious psychic ability that let her watch a lightning bolt form and see each step a racing rapidash took. There was no way to dodge the two forming attacks, she wasn't fast enough.

Not fast enough to dodge, anyways. With a shout and an upswing of her arms, she formed a solid shield just in time. Psychic and psywave, two of the strongest psychic attacks a pokemon could learn. Her shields strained, fractured. Held.

Her body did not.

She fell to her knees, gasping, every muscle limp and refusing to answer her mind's increasingly frantic demands of it. Even so, she wasn't yet defenseless; her telekinetic grip on the air was still strong. She narrowed her eyes, and mentally _shoved._ A shockwave of displaced air raced out, tearing at everything indiscriminately.

Her remaining two opponents flinched back. One turned his head to try and clear his eyes of dirt that had been thrown in his face; the other teleported.

Behind Sabrina. Somehow she tensed, and started to lunge to her feet, a last desperate act, when claws came and rested gently against her throat. She sank back to the ground, shaking.

Gale limped up to her mistress, and mewled. Sabrina had overextended herself again, the eeveelution observed. Silver moved his hands from Sabrina's throat to her shoulders, and quietly agreed.

_What was that?_ Mewtwo asked, stepping forward. Sabrina stared at him wordlessly, completely unable to comprehend who he was or what he was doing there.

Bolt stepped between Mewtwo and the other psychics, and folded his arms. _Training,_ the Mr. Mime said, the word clipped and precise. Bolt didn't like telepathic speech. He much preferred the way Gale and Silver communicated, with a mingling of images, sounds, smells, and tastes projected into a person's mind.

_**Training**__?_ Mewtwo repeated, and looked from Sabrina to her pokemon, and back. _That was- but you're a human!_

"Am I?" Sabrina said, having recovered enough to think, at least. "Good of you to notice. In case you've forgotten, I'm a gym leader. My pokemon have to be at the top of their game. So do I."

She stood up, with ample help from Silver. A million aches and strains made themselves known as she hobbled over to her camp seat. A wary Firebrand and Marina were watching her from their chosen spots, while Skull glared at anything psychic. She made a mental note to stay away from the tyranitar until after he'd calmed down.

_Why would you have to fight?_ Mewtwo, it seemed, had decided to follow her over to her seat. Sabrina honestly didn't care. He'd never been to her camp before, and it should have been strange seeing him in the midst of what had become a sort of home this past week, but she was too tired to think about it much.

She glared up at him, then gestured at the oat porridge she'd left to the side of the fire, close enough to stay warm but far enough away that it wouldn't burn. The pot trembled, then began to slide and bump across the ground. Mewtwo gestured with one hand, and the entire thing gained a faint, blue aura to her mind's eye, before it floated up into the air to her side.

"Show off," she accused.

_You didn't answer my question,_ he replied. Once the oat porridge was at her side, he looked around and found her bowl and spoon. They too floated over to her.

"I feel everything my pokemon do, in battle," Sabrina said, and helped herself to a bowlful of porridge. "Are you hungry? Gale's the only one, apart from me, who actually likes this stuff. Unless you do. Do you?"

She really was quite tired. She only was this inane when exhausted.

Mewtwo shook his head once, and crouched down on the ground. It was the first time he'd done so in her presence, which meant it was currently interesting enough for her to stare at him, wondering.

"You don't really act like a pokemon," she observed. He frowned at that. "No, really. You actually talk like a telepathic human, you're obviously able to move about on all fours as well as just on your hind feet, but you choose to walk standing up and I just don't _understand_. It's frustrating." She made a mental note to speak with Detective Truitt or his partner Officer Lance as soon as possible. They would look into this for her. There really should be some sort of control on what trainers could do to wild pokemon.

Her student sighed, and shook his head. _This is what I know,_ he pointed out, _and not the point. How can you feel...?_

"I'm a psychic," she said. Wasn't it obvious? "All psychics are like this. That's why there's so few of us as trainers."

Mewtwo was staring at her. Sabrina honestly couldn't care. She was tired, and sore, and she had somehow managed to eat two whole bowls of porridge without noticing. Never mind that it was barely mid-afternoon, she was going to sleep.

"Goodnight," she said, and went to bed.

* * *

"You seem quiet today," Sabrina said, and finished packing her tent away. "Going to miss me that much?" she teased.

_Hardly,_ Mewtwo said, though he did smile a little. He was, for the second time that week, standing in the middle of her camp. Though, as of right now, it didn't look much like a camp any more. The fire pit had been thoroughly doused by Marina, and then buried, thanks to Skull. The tent was down, and in a few weeks any traces of occupation would be erased. Lance, obviously, believed in leaving as few marks of humanity behind him in the wilderness. Sabrina could get behind that.

She was still very sore from her training, but she already felt a lot better. "Can I expect you for any visits, sometime in the future?" she asked, and stared at her packs. They weren't the neat, orderly things Lance had given her a week ago. She gave a mental shrug. They were teleporting back to the league headquarters anyways.

_Probably not. I..._ He hesitated, which was just odd enough that Sabrina looked over at him. She could count on one hand the number of times he'd hesitated this past week, and still have fingers left over.

"Yes?" she prompted, when it seemed he was going to hesitate forever.

_I don't like trainers,_ he spoke in a rush. _Especially not gym leaders. But you're not like what I expected._

"You've never dealt with a psychic trainer," Sabrina said, reinforcing her earlier mental note. She was definitely going to contact Detective Truitt or his partner, and maybe look into implementing several new rules about catching wild pokemon. Whatever had happened to Mewtwo should never have happened, and it was her duty to make sure that it never happened again.

_No,_ Mewtwo mused, staring at her. _I hadn't. It's been... an experience._

Sabrina nodded, and stood up. "Would you like to see the world the way I do?" she asked, going with whatever impulse was driving her.

He startled, eyes going very wide and taking a step backward. _What?_

"Do you want to see the world the way a psychic human, a trainer, does?" Sabrina asked, and held out one hand. "It won't hurt or anything."

She really needed to meditate. Why was it so important that Mewtwo see the way she saw her pokemon? Only to differentiate herself from his previous trainer? She really didn't know, and that was the problem. She was supposed to always know, when it came to her own mind.

Mewtwo stared at her outstretched hand, then slowly moved to clasp her hand with his. It was slightly odd- his hand was like a cat's paw stretched out to human proportions- but after a second Sabrina was able to ignore that.

For the second time since meeting him, she dropped her shields. This time, she welcomed him to look through her eyes, literally.

It was not the first time she had done this with a student. Telepaths had to get experience reading minds somehow, and better they practice with someone who could protect themselves then accidentally drive someone insane.

She didn't have to guide Mewtwo as much as she'd expected. He'd obviously practiced telepathy somehow, and though he was still clumsy with it, it was only from lack of use.

After a moment, everything was in place. Sabrina opened her eyes, and looked around.

Everything glowed. Pokemon more than plants, plants more than rocks. Also, there were cords, between Sabrina and her psychic pokemon, cords that tied her three psychics to each other, and the barest wisps of glowing lines slowly forming between Firebrand, Marina, and Skull, linking them to herself and to each other and the rest of the team. What happened to one happened to her, though she never showed any physical signs of injury.

The connection wasn't one that could be held for long. Mewtwo slipped out of her mind, and she formed her shields again. She looked up at him, and waited.

_Thank you,_ he said. _I think... I may visit after all. Eventually._

Sabrina smiled. "Thank you," she said. "I look forward to it."

Then there was nothing else to do, nothing else to say, nothing else to pack. She hesitated, and looked down at their still clasped hands. "Good luck, Mewtwo," she finally said.

_And you as well, Sabrina._ He let go. Sabrina stepped back, and recalled all of her pokemon but Silver. The alakazam moved to stand next to her, gestured at the bags, then placed one paw on her shoulder.

Then everything turned blue, blue like the sky and the depths of a glacial spring, and they were gone.

* * *

The next day, Mewtwo left.

He didn't go far, just to the nearest city, to test out his shielding. It was effective. He could feel the press of all those lives, swarming in one relatively small space, but their thoughts did not intrude on his. He was not treated to an ear-splitting litany of complaints. He did not get any intimate details that he'd rather not hear. Instead, he was left with mental silence.

He retreated back to his mountain dwelling soon enough; he had never been one for crowds to begin with, and after a little over a year of isolation, city noise was disturbing.

Mewtwo grabbed an apple from the small storage area, and ate it in perhaps five bites. He tossed the core out into the woods, and very nearly smiled. He had no plans, as of yet, but that would come with time. For the moment, he would be content with the potential he now had. He could travel, or not, whichever he chose. From there, he didn't know, but he didn't think planning his life several years down the road was exactly healthy.

It didn't solve his problems; he grimaced a little, thinking that, but it was true. Nothing had really changed. He was still the only one of his kind, he still had no real reason for living beyond that it, so far, less painful then dying, and he would still have to put quite a bit of work into anything involving interacting with the outside world.

Still, he reminded himself. He had options now. He hadn't, before.

Something in the woods snapped, no doubt a stantler or girafarig browsing its way through the brush. He glanced in that direction, before looking up at the sky.

Which was why he completely missed the umbreon sliding through the shadows to flank him, or the murkrow that was roosting in the tree.

**End Notes**

Cue that freaky music that always precludes things blowing up off screen. Next chapter should hopefully be out before hell freezes over, or at least the end of the month. (Why am I saying that? Oh, right, I'm an unrealistic dreamer. Go me!)


	8. Epilogue

**Shades of Violet**

"Lance Michael Starnes!" Sabrina slammed the board room door, ignoring the sudden rise of complaints from the other gym leaders. They could just damn well _live_ without a breeze for five minutes. Lance, on the other hand, could beg for mercy. "How could you?"

"How could I what?" Lance asked, leaning back in his chair. Unfortunately for him, he was smirking.

"This!" she yelled, and threw a handful of 'newspapers' onto the table. The papers skittered across the worn surface, going in all directions. One- the worst one, she saw by the cover- actually fell off the table and onto Giovanni's lap.

The other gym leader ignored the death glare she sent his way, and picked the paper up. He scanned the front page, eyebrows climbing for his hairline. "'Renowned Psychic gym leader abducted by clefairy'," he read. "For full interview turn to page seven. Really, Sabrina?"

Sabrina huffed, and then turned her glare on Lance. Much as she would have liked to yell at Giovanni, maybe even make him think he was a six year old girl named 'Princess Penny', she couldn't. Giovanni, after all, wasn't the main contact with the media. Lance had taken over that job after Misty nearly had a nervous breakdown and Erika threatened to feed the reporter responsible to a Venus flytrap she 'had in case of burglars'.

"Two tabloids have said that I've run away from my duties, to get married or some such nonsense. Three have said I've been kidnapped, and only one managed to get anything even halfway right- but I was not investigating a cult of vampires!"

"That's halfway right?" Lance asked, leaning forward to study the nearest tabloid. Unfortunately, it was upside down, but he didn't seem to care.

"It had that I went up north," she admitted, "and that I was running an investigation. But that was about it."

Agatha was laughing, looking like she was about to fall off her chair onto the floor. Sabrina scowled at the woman, and then sighed. She supposed it was funny, when you thought about it. She just hated the gossip rags. Too much like high school.

"Besides," she added. "I'd never marry John Cliffton."

"No, you wouldn't. Come on, sit down and tell us how your week was. Oh, new pokemon?" Erika leaned across Bruno to peer at Sabrina's belt, where her three new pokeballs were clipped. Bruno tolerated the invasion of his personal space with good grace.

"I'm keeping the loaners. I like them." Sabrina sat down on Bruno's other side, and smiled at him. "How have things been while I've been away?"

"No emergencies," he said. "No surprises, not even any trainers complaining much about you being away."

Sabrina nodded, and leaned back in her chair. She frowned at Giovanni, who had an unusual look on his face, then shrugged it away. It didn't matter to her, did it?

"Well, cuz? Your report, if you please," Lance said, tossing the tabloid he'd been reading back onto the table.

"Boring," she replied. "Psychic teenager who came late into his powers. He couldn't turn his telepathy off, so he retreated someplace a bit... quieter. Whenever anyone came within his range, he just stopped their thoughts from forming, erasing their memories. He didn't even mean to do it."

"Ah," Lance said. "And you're back in a week because...?"

"He's a good student? Honestly, he got shielding faster than anyone I've ever seen before. If he does get into trouble, he knows to come to me. His shields aren't going to fall any time soon, and he didn't exactly appreciate my... intrusion into his solitude anyways."

Lance nodded, and waved one hand. "So, problem solved? Good. Very well, you get your week's vacation, but maybe you could tend to the backlog of trainers waiting for you to open the gym? There's probably no more than seven or eight."

"I think I can manage that," she replied.

The meeting moved from her recent trip to other details of running the League. Sabrina, as per her usual procedure during meetings, didn't pay much attention to what was being said. Instead, one part of her mind turned over the potential for new, stricter rules for capturing wild pokemon while the other contemplated the water stains on the ceiling.

They really did need to fix the plumbing.

* * *

The meeting closed up after an hour. Giovanni was the first out the door. Even though she'd had an 'inside track' several years ago, Sabrina still wasn't certain when the man found time to _sleep_. His various businesses and his work with the League certainly filled his time table.

Then again, they all had interests outside of their gyms and League duties. Sabrina had her school, Lance had his wild pokemon rehabilitation work, Bruno had carpentry and Misty was working on a university degree. Heaven only knew what the others did; of the League members, Sabrina was closest to Lance and Bruno.

The others began to filter away, and Sabrina cleaned up the strewn about tabloids with her telekinesis. Lance, she noticed, wasn't leaving. She arched one eyebrow at him and settled the last of the papers in a neat stack.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Thought I'd warn you. Your pet detective, what's his name-"

"Basil Truitt," Sabrina said.

"Yes, him. He had to visit your home." Lance stood up and shook his hair back out of his eyes. "No one's hurt, or in any trouble, but... Well, you had a break in."

"A break in?" she asked, remaining seated. "Who would be stupid enough to break into a school for psychics?"

"Not the school."

Not the school, not the gym... that left her _home_. "I see," she said. "No one was hurt?"

"Well, no one except the intruder."

Sabrina nodded, and looked down at her hands. Her fingers were numb. "Was Jamie alright?"

"Alright and spitting mad. I checked in on him when I heard about it. Yesterday. The detective said no one would be pressing any charges against him."

"I should hope not. A lawyer just out of school can make a case of self defense. Jamie was defending himself and his home." Of course Jamie was alright. She just wanted to make sure of that with her own two eyes.

"Just thought I'd warn you. Apparently there was some cosmetic damage done to the house."

She nodded. "I do understand. Thank you for warning me."

"Anything for you, cuz. Go home."

Sabrina nodded again, then stood up in a too fast, jerky movement. "Goodbye," she said. Then she released Silver from his pokeball and stepped close. "Home, please," she said.

Silver wrapped one arm around her shoulders and teleported.

They arrived just outside of the school's front door. Sabrina released Gale and Bolt, waving at them to send them off. She would open the gym tomorrow, she thought, even as she hurried around the great bulk of the school building. Old manor homes were good for something, she thought, and then shoved it to the back of her mind.

Her home that she shared with her husband and pokemon was- comparatively- small. It used to have been the gardener's home, which meant it only had three bedrooms, two baths, and two floors if you discounted the cellar. Ivy had grown up to cover three of the sides, and creamy stone blocks made up the fourth, still visible side. Even as she hurried up the walkway to the front door, she made note of a broken window and a torn up flower bed.

She tried the front door, and found it unlocked. "Jamie?" she called, stepping inside. Inside, she could see further signs of disruption. The hall mat was missing, and further down near the kitchen archway she could see a splash of dark brown on the pale terracotta floor.

Blood.

"Jamie?" she called again, a little louder. Ridiculous- Lance had said no one was hurt- but she needed to talk to her husband.

"Sabrina!" From upstairs, she realized, and turned towards the staircase. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

She took a few steps closer, even as Jamie began to clatter down the stairs. Honestly clatter, she noted. What was he wearing, plate armor?

Jamie rounded the corner and she could see that, instead of plate armor, he had his tool belt on, thus explaining the noise. Why one man needed three different hammers, she didn't know, but he insisted.

He looked fine. He looked like he always did, a bit befuddled by life, barely five-foot-seven, with ash brown hair just a little too long because he kept forgetting to get it cut. Something inside her immediately went to goo the moment she saw him, and she smiled automatically on seeing him.

"Ah, there you are. I wasn't expecting you home until after I'd replaced the window," Jamie said, jumping the last three steps. He reached out and rubbed one hand over Sabrina's arm. "Bit of an incident, but don't worry. I've had extra windows waiting for someone to throw statuary through the current ones."

"Of course you have," she murmured, and moved forward to rest her head on his shoulder. "Lance told me everything was fine, but..."

"Well, now you know everything's fine. Ah, dear?"

"Mm?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where I _put_ those windows, do you? I checked the attic and the cellar, but they're not there. I even went over to the school, and- I have to check the shower in the boy's dorm, the water pressure's not quite right. I'll make a note- do you have a pen?"

Jamie took a step back and began checking his pockets and the pouches on his belt for a pen and paper. Sabrina let her smile widen. "I'll remind you," she offered. "And the windows are in the closet in my office."

"Why did I put them there?" he asked, turning to go back up the stairs.

"I have no idea. So you'd remember where you put them?" she suggested.

"Ah. That was a good idea I had. Pity I didn't remember, then."

"You'd have found them eventually."

* * *

Mewtwo growled, and pulled further back into the shadows. This was _not_ how he had expected his freedom to be. Instead of going where he willed, he was instead being hunted and harried from his home in the mountains, across Kanto, all the way to Johto and Goldenrod city. Teleporting only worked so well, when you could only go where you had been prior.

It could have been worse, he thought wryly. He could have been without his mental shields.

In the streets below, humanity lived. The individuals didn't matter, their thoughts didn't matter- from the heights of the skyscrapers the city appeared to be one single organism, with one collective conscious. A pity the reality was so different; perhaps the crime rate would have been lowered if everyone was more conscious of everyone else.

Then again, he wouldn't have been able to hide so effectively in the urban jungle if not for the small mindedness of individual humans.

There was one place he could go to lose whoever was trailing him. It hadn't been long since she made the offer.

Mewtwo closed his eyes and focused on his memory of Sabrina. Saffron City, wasn't it? His aura became visible for a brief moment, ice blue lighting up his surroundings, and then he was gone.

The rooftop was silent and empty, save for the umbreon just sliding out from the shadows.

* * *

Domino was worried. Not that she would show it, of course. Giovanni expected competence, and if you showed that you had doubts, or that you were surprised, well... There were worse things than death, and being assigned to training the new recruits ranked up there with visiting Cinnabar Island in summer.

"You were arrested?" Giovanni asked, and stared at Melchior.

The assassin actually looked embarrassed. "You said he was ordinary!"

"James Botwright is an ordinary man. He's the janitor at a school!"

Domino carefully avoided looking at Melchior when he snorted. "A school for psychics! And he's a mean right hook, too. One of the students yanked me out through the window, and called the cops!"

Detective Truitt and Officer Lance, Domino had heard. Melchior had managed to escape the police station with a paper clip and Captain Rogan's sleight of hand. The two _intrepid_ police officers had then chased Melchior down fifteen blocks, over three alley fences, and only lost the assassin when he'd jumped into the sewer.

Melchior still smelled.

"Never mind!" Giovanni snarled. He got to his feet and walked over to the window. "Never mind James Botwright for now. You will be delighted to learn that your services are required for a different task. An easier task, in fact, then taking out a single man in his own home."

Of course, Domino knew the reason for that. Sabrina was home, and she would hardly look kindly on anyone trying to kill her husband.

Giovanni slid a thick folder across his desk to the assassin. "Read that," he snapped. "And then capture me that pokemon!"

She glanced at the folder, and sighed. Upside down, in faded gray ink, she could _still_ read the heading.

_Project M2, production and study of same._

* * *

_Shades of Violet is now officially finished. That being said- despite all attempts to the contrary- this story somehow developed a little thing called a plot and therefore, since I couldn't see any way to keep the plot contained, has led to the development of a sequel, so far being called 'Shades of Violet Returns'. Obviously it will have a better title when it's posted, but since I've decided (so we don't have as long a break between second to last chapter and last chapter, as we did this time) it will be posted when it is fully complete. Obviously, that may take a while._

_In other news, I've got a full time job (yay!) which is closing (hurk) and I'll be starting a new job at the end of this month (ack!). I expect I'll be doing a lot of work on the new story, if only so I can use my frustrations with the new job for something positive._

_Thank you for sticking with me this long, and I expect I'll have a better track record for posting things. Eventually._


End file.
